So, as you all know, I’m a major fan of cheese balls. They’re the perfect party appetizer: easy to make, easy to serve, and always a crowd-pleaser for young and old alike.

Best of all, the basic cheese ball is an incredibly versatile recipe with infinite variations. You can try different kinds of cheese in the base, switch up the seasonings, add a myriad of different toppings…it’s almost impossible to go wrong.

The only thing that can make a cheese ball even better is turning it from a plain old ball into a fun shape that fits in with a seasonal gathering. A couple years ago, I came up with this pumpkin-shaped cheese ball for a fall party, and it was such a BIG HIT that I just had to make up a variation on it for winter.

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And here it is: the Holiday Ranch Cheese Ball, a jolly happy soul with a carrot nose and peppercorn eyes. Just pop him on a plate with a variety of your favorite veggies or crackers, and he’ll be the life of any winter party.

 Holiday Ranch Cheese Ball

Ingredients:
16 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1  (1 oz) packet of dry ranch mix ( or 3 Tablespoons of my DIY dry ranch mix)
2 cups shredded white cheddar (shredded mozzarella or an Italian blend works well too!), divided
plastic cling wrap ( for shaping balls)
9-10 whole peppercorns
1 small carrot
a variety of veggies, chips an crackers to eat with

1. Place your cream cheese, ranch and 1 cup of shredded cheese into a stand mixer. Mix until well combined.
   
2. Lay out 2 pieces of plastic cling wrap.  Place about 1 cup of cheese mixture into the center of one piece and the rest on the other. The larger ball  should be about 1.5 cups.  Remember, you want one to be larger for the bottom of the snowman.
   
3. Wrap up the balls and round them out with your hands. Refrigerate for about 2 hours.
   NOTE: They don’t have to be perfect, the shredded cheese you place on the outside at the end will hide any bumpy flaws.
4. Once they have chilled, roll your cheese balls in the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
   
5.  Form your cheese ball snowman on a plate.  Placing peppercorns on for his eyes, mouth and buttons. Don’t forget the carrot nose! Surround your happy little holiday ranch cheese ball with your favorite veggies, crackers and chips!
6. Isn’t he the cutest thing you’ve ever seen
   

Isn’t he the cutest thing you’ve ever seen!

Here are more holiday recipes we love!

• How to Roast a Turkey
• The Best Prime Rib Recipe
• Cream Cheese Mints
• 30 Appetizers People Love
• How to Ship Baked Goods
• Crockpot Candied Pecans
• Smothered Green Bean Casserole

5 from 8 votes

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Holiday Ranch Cheese Ball

Author Corey Valley

This holiday ranch cheese ball is the perfect holiday party appetizer: easy to make, easy to serve, and always a crowd-pleaser for young and old alike.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 16 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• ▢ 1 1 oz packet of dry ranch mix ( or 3 Tablespoons of my DIY dry ranch mix)
• ▢ 2 cups shredded white cheddar shredded mozzarella or an Italian blend works well too!, divided
• ▢ plastic cling wrap for shaping balls
• ▢ 9-10 whole peppercorns
• ▢ 1 small carrot
• ▢ a variety of veggies chips an crackers to eat with

Instructions

• Place your cream cheese, ranch and 1 cup of shredded cheese into a stand mixer. Mix until well combined.
• Lay out 2 pieces of plastic cling wrap. Place about 1 cup of cheese mixture into the center of one piece and the rest on the other. The larger ball should be about 1.5 cups. Remember, you want one to be larger for the bottom of the snowman.
• Wrap up the balls and round them out with your hands. Refrigerate for about 2 hours.
• NOTE: They don't have to be perfect, the shredded cheese you place on the outside at the end will hide any bumpy flaws.
• Once they have chilled, roll your cheese balls in the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.
• Form your cheese ball snowman on a plate. Placing peppercorns on for his eyes, mouth and buttons. Don't forget the carrot nose! Surround your happy little holiday ranch cheese ball with your favorite veggies, crackers and chips!

Video

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Nutrition

Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 518mg | Potassium: 64mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 660IU | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

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