Holiday Party Cheese Ball Recipes (Access Hollywood Live)

Remember those pink balls of cheese covered in nuts that your Grandma might have served at holiday parties? Well, the humble cheese ball is making a comeback.

Michelle Buffardi – who celebrates this old school appetizer in her book “Great Balls of Cheese” — visited Access Hollywood Live to share a few of her creative cheese balls creations, sure to add some fun to any holiday party.

Herbed Turkey

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 6 oz. goat cheese
• 1 1/2 tbsp. herbs de Provence
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp. mustard
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

For decorating:

• 1 dark raisin
• 1 whole almond
• 1 small piece red pepper
• Thin pretzel sticks
• Dried papaya

Using a stand mixer or a bowl and a spatula, mix together the cream cheese, the goat cheese, the herbs de Provence, garlic, mustard and salt. Form the mixture into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Before serving, pinch and walnut-sized portion of cheese mixture from the ball; you will use that for the head. Re-form the remaining cheese ball and roll the ball in the almonds. Roll the remaining portion of cheese into a small ball and set it on top of larger ball – this is the turkey’s head. Cut the raisin in half and place each half on the head for the eyes. Place the almond in the middle for the beak, and arrange small piece of red pepper under the beak for the turkey’s wattle stick dried papaya slice into the bottom of the cheese ball for the feet. Last, arrange pretzel sticks on the back of the cheese ball to look like tail feathers

Chilly Penguin

• 16 oz. cream cheese
• 4 oz. blue cheese
• 2 tsp. chopped shallots
• 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
• Dash hot sauce
• 1/2 cup poppy seeds, for coating

For decorating:

• 2 dark raisins
• 1 almond
• 1 carrot
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 scallion

Using a stand mixer or a bowl and spatula, mix together the cream cheese, the blue cheese, shallots, salt and hot sauce. Form the mixture into a ball and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Before serving , remove a 2-inch piece of the cheese mixture, roll into a ball, and set aside, this will be head. Re-form the remaining cheese mixture into an egg shape. Cut out a triangle shape roughly the length of your cheese ball from a sheet of wax paper. Press the wax paper into the cheese ball , with the widest part on the widest part of cheese ball. Roll the cheese ball in the poppy seeds and set the ball on a plate.

Slowly remove the wax paper; the ball should be covered in poppy seed, except for the penguin’s breast. Set the head on top of the penguin’s body and add the raisins for the eyes and almond for the beak. Slice off 2 equal sized rounds of the carrot and arrange them on either side as earmuffs. Connect the earmuffs with the green part of the scallion. Using a vegetable peeler, peel 1 long strip off the carrot; winds this around the penguin’s neck as a scarf. Slice the remaining carrot into toes and arrange at the bottom of the penguin’s body to make its feet, or use two red bell pepper slices.

Herbed Caterpillar

• 16 oz. cream cheese
• 2 cups chopped mixed green herbs, such as dill, mint and/or parsley
• 4 oz. feta cheese
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

For decorating:

• 2 pretzel sticks
• 1 dark raisin
• 1 small piece of red pepper

Using a stand mixer or bowl and spatula, blend the cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of herbs, the feta, the garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Form into 8 balls in descending sizes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Before serving, roll the balls in the remaining chopped herbs, leaving 1 medium size ball plain; this will be the head. Arrange the balls in descending order and place plain ball on top of the largest for the head. Decorate the caterpillar face with the 2 pretzel sticks for the antennae, half of the raisin for each eye, and they tiny piece of red pepper for the nose.