Cheese Ball I

Excellent recipe. Just needed a couple modifications to make it perfect!. Do everything as the recipe calls for, except only use two cups of sharp cheddar(3 1/2 cups is WAY to much). Then, add 2.25oz of dried beef(chopped very fine), green onions(just enough for color and a little zest) and a dab of worcestershire sauce. Make sure that you get the RANCH DRESSING MIX instead of dip mix(this is important). It WILL BE to salty if you mess up and get the dip mix. Mixing it together works alot better when done with your hands(feels yucky, works great). Also, I made sure to chop my pecans fine. Taking it out of the fridge about an hour before serving makes it just right for the crackers. We served this at a party of about 6 people and it was gone before anything else was touched. Hands down, a HUGE hit!

I made this cheese ball for my christmas party and everyone just loved it!I changed a few things.I would advise not using the whole packet of ranch mix,to salty.I used all but a tablespoon,turned out perfect.I also added a cup of monterey jack cheese.make sure you get the finely shredded cheese so it's easier to mix.also,i let the cheeseball sit in the fridge for about 12 hours and got it out about 2 hours before my party started.served it with ritz crackers,WONDERFUL!everyone loved it so much they asked me when i would be making it again!

Delicious and SO easy. BUT - I think the amt. of Cheddar cheese is a printed incorrectly. I used one cup of finely shredded cheddar and it was perfect - 16 oz. would be too much.

Excellent! I added 1T Worchestershire and 1T Tabasco. I received lots of compliments. It is a keeper! Note: I have made this twice. Once using Hidden Valley DIPS mix and once using Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix. There is a huge difference. Use the Salad Dressing mix and NOT the dips. The dips mix is very, very salty. (Edited 5/22/2010)

Wonderful!!! I made this for a work Christmas luncheon and it went quickly. My husband asked me to make it again for my family for Christmas and my sister claimed all the leftovers before anyone even arrived. I did make a few changes: I added 1 jar of chipped beef, 1 Tbsp Worcheshire, and reduced the chedder cheese to one 8 oz. package of shredded sharp cheddar. To form it into a ball I lined a bowl with plastic wrap and spooned the cheese inside. Then pull up on the edges of the plastic wrap to create a ball. I then rolled it into some of the chipped beef.

Super tasty and so easy to make! I just put the cream cheese in my food processor and pulse a few times to soften it. Then add the dressing mix, pulse again. Finally, add the Cheddar cheese in batches until it's all incorporated. This method produces a smooth and fluffy mixture that then can be shaped and coated easily.

I formed a snowman and then frosted it with whipped cream cheese. No nuts. I used celery for arms, a small carrot nose, raisin eyes, a radichio "scarf", raisin buttons etc. It is delicious and a big hit.

this recipe was absolutely fantastic. easy to make and it actually tasted like a cheeseball you would buy. (a lot of cheeseball recipes are good, but you can definitely tell they're mostly cream cheese and homemade; not so with this one.) i laughed when i went to roll the balls, though. i got three, good-sized balls out of it. can't imagine how gigantic one big one would be!

It's a good cheese ball, but if you use a little less ranch dressing mix it's better. I added chopped green onions and very finely chopped dried beef. I didn't use the nuts, but covered the cheese ball with small squares of dried beef.

The best cheese ball, by far. This was a hit at Thanksgiving. I added a little minced garlic and parsley flakes to the mixture and omitted the decorative pecan halves. I only wish it wasn't so hard and you could dip your crackers right into it without them breaking! I think a zap in the microwave before serving would do the trick. Overall, very yummy and addictive.

This is the BOMB! Be sure to make the modifications mentioned by others: *cut finely shredded cheddar cheese down to 2 cups *be sure to use ranch dressing mix not dip mix *add some chopped scallions for color and 2.25 oz dried beef (buddig) chopped for flavor *add a splash of worsteshire Oh, so yummy.

I combined suggestions and added one myself. I used one container of Imperial Sharp Cheese (cold pressed in a red container with black lid) instead of the shredded cheese. I used only about a tablespoon dry Ranch dip mix, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, about 5+ drops of Tabasco sauce, and 3-4 cloves of garlic minced. I made the small balls and rolled them in finely chopped/almost ground pecans. Everyone loved them.

For ease = 4 star; but I thought it was missing something (black or green olives or onions.)

YUM! I halfed the recipe and added a little worc. Thanks!

Very good! i Got raves about it at thanksgiving! I only used 1 1/2 cups mild chedder cheese and 1/2 cup of very finely chopped ham. i forgot to add green onions like someone suggested but i can't see why it's really needed once you add the ranch. i did use almost all the ranch i left out about a table spoon because as i poured it in it seemed like more than enough. Covered it in choppped peacans (which i hate) for decorative purpose. but you couldn't even taste the peacans at all! To me it just added a little texture and very pretty coating. I will make this at every party! and even for a midnight snack sometimes.

I've made this numerous years and it is great. Lots of compliments and very easy. This year, I wanted to get rid of the MSG that is in the dressing mix, so I substituted Pampered Chef's Garlic Garlic seasoning (which is basically just minced garlic, minced onion, etc.) and a couple of tablespoonfuls of buttermilk. Came out great. :)

Very good! I made as written, except rolled into individual balls. Worked our perfect to put the balls into a ring on the outside of a serving plate and fill the middle with Wheat Thins.

I add 1 small jar of pimentos and 1 package of the pre-cooked, "recipe ready" bacon pieces (usually found in the salad dressing aisle) and call it a BLT Ranch Cheese Ball (check out my recipe, also on allrecipes.com). I also don't use the pecans, but instead use the extra shredded cheese to cover the outside of the ball. Plus, since I'm a Packer fan, I sprinkle a little parsley on the outside, so it's "green and gold" for gameday! : )

As written is very good, but I cheated & did as a few others have done & I added 1 pkg Carl Buddig Beef, scallions, & a "dab" of Worcestershire sauce. It gets RAVE reviews every time I make it. Never fails someone is asking me for the recipe. Thanks Ellen for a great base recipe!!!

I couldn't wait to put this out. I made it the day before, so by the time I served it the flavors were nice and mixed. Very tasty :)

This was the best recipe for a cheese ball i have ever made. I did make some minor changes however. 2 cups of cheddar cheese is plenty and i didn't need the entire package of dressing mix. As odd as it sounds, i used shelled sunflower seeds instead of the pecans. It turned out wonderfully.

I only added about half the ranch dressing packet, but added 1TB of worcestershire sauce. It was delicious!

This came out fantastic. I followed other reviewers suggestions and added worchesire sauce, and crumbled bacon. I will be making this again.

Definitely a very simple way to make a good tasting cheese ball. Nothing to brag about to the world, but comes in handy if you need something simple to take to parties. The pecans give it that "classic" look and crunch and the 2 simple cheeses are better together than expected. I will say the quantities for this are huge. I realize the quantities are easy to measure, but you will make multiple cheese balls out of these quantities. So be prepared before you make it - you'll either need to be at a huge party, or be desiring to keep some at home for a few weeks. Go from about 1/3 of the recipe if you want just a normal size cheese ball.

1/2 the recipe. I added chopped scallions and bacon bits and worcestire sauce.

DELICIOUS!! I used mixed chopped nuts instead of pecans to roll it in after it was formed. Soooo good! I had no left-overs after party so HAD to make a small one the next day all for me! ;-) It was great with garlic butter crackers!

Fantastic! Everyone at my cookie party thought it was the best they had ever had! Thanks for sharing!

This would probably be okay, but the Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix I bought (and I DID make sure it said dressing and not dip!) was in a new looking packet...I think they have now upped the salt in this. The packet I bought weighed only .4 oz, but that was the only one I saw that said dressing mix. I love salt, but this is so salty...I am so disappointed. I added extra cream cheese in hopes it would take away some of the saltiness, but it didn't. I made these for Christmas gifts, but now I have to throw them out...big waste of money and time for me.

I made and served at my sister's wedding reception. It was an appetizer reception I catered. I doubled the recipe and made two large cheese balls the pecans and two large cheese logs I rolled in pecans. I toasted the pecans which gave them an added sweetness and crunch. I also only used about 1/2 - 3/4 oz Ranch dressing mix and this was plenty, any more and it would be too salty and over-power the other flavors. I, too, only added 2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese. More and the cheddar would have over-powered the other flavors, probably because I did use sharp cheddar. Both the plain and the pecan were equally enjoyed by the wedding guests.

Very good recipe! I added a few dashes of worcestershire sauce very a smokier flavor. Also chopped pecans and sprinkled parsley over the nuts before rolling. Very pretty and yummy! Thanks for this quick and easy recipe!

This was a huge hit at thanksgiving. we had a small group, so I cut the recipe in half and it made one nice sized ball. I only used about 1 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar shredded really small. I also added some diced green onions and worchestershire, and I made it 2 days ahead of time. It was perfect and I will surely be making it for christmas as well.

not my favorite cheese ball but very simple to make!

This was my first cheese ball and I looked like a pro! I listened to other reviews and added minced garlic, parsley and some worchester. A few recommendations... it mixes best if you use your hands! Don't be afraid to get messy- it washes off! Also, if you plan to serve it with crackers, take it out of the fridge AT LEAST 2-3 hours before serving to soften.

to MrsHavens1984....sorry i didn't see your dissapointment of this cheesse ball sooner but try my version & you'll be happy...think the original HV ranch is to salty so I stick with the buttermilk blend..our Giant Eagle doesn't carry it so I stock up when I go to Drug Mart....don't need to add anything but all 3 ingred......I've been making it for several people & end up freezing some for emergency situations....in fact I've done some for dips by adding some beer to it so you can make it into a dip..WoW!..naturally you can always add exra stuff (like bacon,etc, but no need when 3 simple ingred work....go with the flo

Only one word to describe this cheese ball... delicious. Definitely a crowd pleaser!

I made this recently for a family picnic. I'm giving it 5 stars, but only because I took the advice of a few others and made one addition. You absolutely MUST add a 4 and 1/2 ounce jar of dried beef, finely chopped! It just adds that "certain something" to the cheese ball that makes everyone say, "Hmmm, what IS that?" It got rave reviews at the picnic and did not last very long! Several people asked me for the recipe. This one goes in my archives!

Excellent! I didn't use as many pecans as the recipe requires (about half the amt) but in their place, I did add about 1/4 cup minced celery. Very good...with any kind of cracker. Will make this for many events to come. Thanks Ellen!

I've been making this for years and it is always a hit. I add a little paparika and garlic powder to the mixture. Sometimes I add a little cajun seasoning to give it a kick. I usually make it into a cheese log so it fits easily on a cracker.

Made for a dinner party and my guests loved it. My 8 year old did as well so it was a hit all around.

I made this cheese ball into the shape of a turkey for a thanksgiving party. It was delicious! My friends could not believe I made it myself! And it was so simple!

I made this to take to the first football game of the season. I also only used 2 cups finely shredded cheddar and that was plenty. I made it the night before so the flavors could meld and rolled it in Real Bacon Bits because we have nut allergies in the family. This recipe does make a LOT! I thought it would be too much, but not for this family! I served it with 2 boxes of Wheat Thins and it was nearly gone before halftime. :)

This cheese ball was a huge hit at a family gathering. I could not believe how good it was. I did not use as much of the ranch dressing packet as required because I figured it might be too salty- and it was perfect. The second time I made this I did add some worcestershire sauce and it was a good extra!!

This is a great cheeseball recipe! I love the simplicity of it- and everyone really loves it. I like to use the finely shredded cheddar cheese- it works great. I also use sliced almonds instead of pecans, and it is very good. If you are making this for a smaller crowd- halve the recipe- because this makes 2 average sized (grocery store sized) cheese balls.

Wonderful recipe!! I made this for my nieces wedding shower I catered. I made this according to the directions but thought that I can add other ingredients to change it up for other jobs.

This is very easy to make and tastes great. I used 2 cups of mild shredded cheddar cheese and it turned out fine. 3 and a half cups of cheese would have been too much and I used mild because I didn't have sharp cheddar. For the Ranch dressing use salad dressing mix. I used a food processor to finely chop the pecans. Put that in a plate to the side. Then I mixed the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and dressing mix in the food processor. I formed the mixture into a ball with my hands and then rolled the ball in the finely chopped pecans. Excellent and easy!

This is delicious exactly as written. I wouldn't cut back on the cheddar as others have suggested - it is after all a "cheese" ball. Also yummy with a couple cans of drained crab meat mixed in.

I've made a similar recipe to this one, but a smaller version. It requires 1 package of cream cheese, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 1 package of dry Ranch dressing. It is always a hit at parties. Very addictive. You can also mold the cheeseball in various shapes. For our Super Bowl party, I shaped it into the form of a football and carved the laces into the cheeseball with a knife. Very easy to create. 7 minutes tops.

I made this for Christmas and it gave me two good sized balls. I added less of the ranch seasoning but substituted in a couple cloves of finely minced garlic, a dash of worchester and hot sauce. I think these additions took it beyond the bland that it would have been. It was even better after the first day. Great recipe!

Quick and easy to make, and much better tasting than the expensive ones that you can buy. Makes a fairly big cheeseball. Thanks for sharing.

This was great, I made if for Christmas and everyone loved it!

I thought I would try the recipe for my holiday party since it got 5 stars on the reviews... however, I didn't quite see why... it wasn't bad... it was just average at best... my guests agreed with me. I would not make this recipe again.

I made this for a Christmas party and formed 3 balls into a snowman. I made it the day before and arranged the balls minutes before the party. It was good, not great - the hardest part was to get people to "break" the snowman. I will probably make again due to the ease of the recipe......

This was pretty easy to make...a little hard to mix, but I kept at it and it came together well. Also, I bought ranch dip mix (instead of dressing mix) by mistake and THEN read one of the reviews that said the dip mix was too salty...so, I used only half of the packet and added 1 tablespoon of worchester - it was great! I'll try it next time with a full packet of the dressing mix and compare! Thanks for a great recipe!

I've made this several times and it's always a hit at parties. It looks so fancy - like you spent a long time on it - but it takes about 5 minutes to make. I only use 2 cups of shredded, sharp cheese. The last time I tried it I crumbled 3 slices of bacon into it and added a dash or two of hot sauce - it was great! You can get very creative with this. Great recipe!

This cheese ball is awesome. I don't know why I've never thought to make one before, but it was the hit of my daughter's first birthday party (as far as the food table goes). Everyone wanted to take some home. I made almost double the recipe and used LOTS of sharp Cheddar, exchanging the pecans for sliced almonds (due to allergies). I had two cheese balls, and my husband liked it so much he keeps snacking on it every chance he gets. Because there is nothing "crazy" in the recipe even my one year old can eat it without worry. Definitely a keeper!

I cut down on the dressing and added I tbsp of Worcestershire. I also creamed everything in the food processor for a nice texture and then mixed in some crushed pecans. It yielded 2 large balls that were devoured by my guests.

Sounds very good--will try soon. The people who added chipped beef changed it too much. It changes it to something completely different.

I've never made a cheese ball before, and this turned out great! Everyone loved it. I used about 2/3 of the ranch dressing mix so the flavor wasn't too overpowering. It was a great party dish!

This recipe was quite good. I thought the taste improved the second day. I thought it had a salty taste and would decrease the amount of ranch dressing somewhat.

Just made this for a bridal shower for a friend. Everyone loved them. Made "individual" balls instead of one large ball. Rave reviews! Be sure to finely grind the pecans to get the best coating. If making "individual" balls, it's best to roll the balls in your hand with the pecans. Thanks for a great recipe!

GREAT RECIPE!!! Followed directions, and loved it- then added chopped parsley, minced garlic, and green onion for a little extra. I left out the nuts since I didn't have them. I coated the outside in parsley and shredded chedder for looks- went over GREAT!

WOW!!! These were awesome. I made 2 medium sized balls, and all I had were walnuts so I chopped thoes and used them instead. Simple ingredients, simple to make, very good.

My family and I really enjoed this cheese ball. Just enough ranch taste to make it good but not over power the cheeses.

I made this exactly as the recipe called for and it was the first cheese ball I had ever made. EVERYONE that tried it LOVED it!!! It was gone before the party was over and was so easy to make!! I will keep this in my arsenal for future holiday parties!!

This is good as it is and great as a base. I made two of them... one w/ranch dressing package and one w/italian. If you really want to "get this ball rolling", try adding veggies, like finely chopped garlic & onion, bell peppers (green & red for Christmas)and try out a variety of shredded cheeses & meats. Also, I had/used mixed nuts, originally, and they worked fine. I gave this recipe a 4 instead of 5 stars for lack of creativity alone :(

I made this as an appetizer for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. Super easy to make, all I did was added scallions as per other people's suggestions. Turned out great, and was much larger than I expected. Still great recipe, will definitely make it again.

I tried this recipe and while it tasted pretty good, and entire package of dressing mix is WAY too much. Also, there was no mention of bringing ingredients to room temp before mixing...this would have saved me so much time and strain on my mixer. I had to let it rest several times and it took me no less than an hour to prepare because everything was rock hard. Also, use the finely shredded cheese...mine still had big pieces of cheese throughout....it did not mesh with the cream cheese at all. Since it didn't bind well, it was crumbly and not smooth at all.

I was disappointed. My family didn't care for that much ranch flavor. I might try again with 1/2 a package instead. This does make a lot, unfortunately, the second ball never got eaten.

I made a variation of this. Instead of one big ball, I made small, bite size cheese balls. I put the chopped pecans on a plate, sprinkled some breadcrumbs on top, and tossed them together. (But don't use too much of the breadcrumbs. There should be more pecans to breadcrumbs or else the pecans won't stick to the cheeseball.) I then rolled each small cheeseball in the pecan and breadcrumb mix until it covered it entirely. I followed the recipe's directions in terms of ingredients and instructions.

I needed a quick, simple recipe at short notice. This was perfect and everyone loved it.

I made this cheese ball for a Christmas party last year, and it disappeared so quickly - everyone loved it! I served this with crackers, but next time I might add a few more choices to the plate (pretzels, apples, toasted bread, etc.).

Yummy!!! I have been making this cheese ball for years. It is always a huge hit. I always have to make a couple for parties because it is gone so fast!

I had this cheeseball at a party, and I haven't been able to get it off of my mind. It is so good!

This is a great recipe! Always getting requests to bring this to any type of get togethers. I use half of the ranch otherwise the ranch overpowers the cheese. It makes 2 good size balls or 1 huge ball. Breaking it into two you can change it up with 1 rolled with the pecans and one with bacon bits etc. very versatile.

This recipe is fabulous! I was worried about the comments about the cheese ball being too salty, but I still went ahead and used the full package of ranch. I let it sit over night, and it turned out great. I got tons of compliments and it disappeared quickly!

I made sure to get the Ranch Dressing Mix and still thought this was quite salty. I will make again, but will only use half the package of Ranch mix.

I have been making this recipe for year and years now. Everyone raves about it and asks for the recipe. For easier blending, using a stand up mixer with the flat blade, or use food handling gloves for hand mixing. If using packaged cheese I use Kraft's Meixican blend, if using freshly shredded cheese, I use co-jack. To roll in the pecans easily, I spread the chooped pecans on a sheet of saran wrap. Then simply roll the log (or ball) onto the pecans, wrap up in the saran wrap and pop into the fridge! This is best with Ritz crackers or those little chicken biscuit crackers by Nabisco.

Best cheese ball ever hands down! I like to use chopped walnuts instead of pecans

I used this recipe as the foundation and added a dash of worcheshire and hot pepper sauce to the mixture. It is now my "specialty" that everyone loves! It is easy to make and tastes amazing! Thank you Ellen for inspiring me!

This was okay....I used about half the cream cheese, half the cheese and less than half of the ranch mix. However, I got the ranch dip mix, and according to the reviews, it's better to use just ranch mix. So I'll do that next time, and maybe add some green onions. Overall a very easy dish to make, but not super amazing either.

This cheese ball went over well and was complimented by many at the party I brought it to. I did add a few extra things: 2 chopped green onions, about 3 oz of chopped beef jerky and a splash of Worcestershire and I reduced the amount of cheddar to 2 cups. It was great!

I made these for Christmas neighbor gifts this year, and they were a hit! Many people asked me for the recipe. THe changes I made: Like most people suggested, I reduced to 1 cup cheese. I also made three cheese balls per packet of ranch dressing mix. (The original recipe is too strong) Instead of pecans, I rolled in walnuts.

I made this, minus the pecans, for my friend's bonfire(more like a fire-pit) party, basically a group of high school seniors, anyway, everyone loved it! It was really easy to make, and it tastes great on everything...I put the leftovers on my bagel this morning...I'm definitely going to make it for the next one.

please listen to the rest of the reviews and do not use a dip seasoning package...i did....and waaaaay too salty!

Yum-o! I didn't change a thing, it's delicious as is. My kids (picky) even loved it.

Delicious! I used lower fat Neufachtel type cream cheese and it still turned out great. According to the box, it has 1/2 the fat of regular cream cheese and tastes the same. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly.

This is an excellant cheese ball. I made it into two as one was too large. I made the recipe as given.

Super easy - and Super Yummy!

My first cheese ball & it turned out great. Everyone wanted to know what I put into it. I read the reviews and added ingredients to my taste, green onions, worcestershire sauce, bacon. YUMMY!

What a hit! I will surely making this again for holidays and get togethers. I did add a little garlic to spice it up some. Wonderful!!

This was so easy to make !! Everyone loves it whenever I fix it and they always request the recipe.

Don't let the simple list of ingredients fool you. This is a fantastic cheese ball! It is the only recipe I use now. Everyone raves when I make it. It makes a great Thanksgiving day appetizer. Thanks for such a simple, but tasty recipe, Ellen! It's a winner!

I don't normally make things like this but this cheese ball saved my life. Took no time, appeased my guests until the pizza came,and what's more they loved it! Thanks!!!

We make a cheeseball that is very similar to this one. Difference is - less cheddar and instead of rolling it in pecans we roll it in "Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Pepper". May sound strange but trust me...it's good and sure to get compliments.

Very yummy! We don't like nuts, so I rolled the ball in extra shredded cheddar cheese. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you. I've made this twice so far and everyone loves it! :) PS. It does not keep well through the next day. It is definitely best fresh!

Very good!!!! Did it!

This went over really well. It made several, so I took one to a neighbor as a thank-you. I added a little bacon and green onions to mine.

This cheese ball has wonderful flavor. I did, however, make the error of buying ranch "dip" mix, and it was a bit salty as a result. Was a big hit at the thanksgiving party nonetheless. Will buy the correct mix next time. Thanks for the recipe!!

I added a can of white chicken to this and it was really good