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Everyone knows that fruit and cheese go super well together, but it can be hard to pair them in one meal. This strange-looking pineapple cheese ball recipe is the perfect thing to demonstrate to your guests that, yes, fruit and cheese are the ultimate pairings when made right.
Looking for something to serve with your pineapple cheese ball, why not learn How To Make Homemade Pita Chips? Or you could make this Classic Homemade Nuts and Bolts Recipe! Or, if you need to use up more pineapple, how about this Pineapple Casserole?
Pineapple Cheese Ball
Despite their strange name and even stranger appearance, pineapple cheese balls are a surprisingly delicious way to combine fruit and cheese into an amazingly scoop-able snack.
Though a bit out of left field when it comes to normal recipes, this is something that really has to be seen and tasted to be believed.
Why Not Try Pineapple Cheese Festive Shapes
It might be called a pineapple cheese ball, but that does not mean that it has to be only ball-shaped. In fact, one of the classic ways to make this dish is to shape it so that it looks just like a real pineapple.
If you’re planning to make a pineapple cheese ball as part of a festive treat, why not impress your guests with some holiday-themed shapes?
Some easy yet still very impressive shapes include a star, a Christmas tree, or a snowman. In order to make these shapes follow the recipe, mold the mixture into a ball. You can then use your fingers to press the mixture into your chosen shape gently.
For more elaborate shapes, you could try using silicon molds designed to make marzipan or chocolate. Ice cube molds are also useful, especially if you want to make smaller pineapple cheese balls so each guest can have their own.
How To Store And Freeze Your Pineapple Cheese Ball
Much of the holiday season is focused around food, which usually means if you’ve braved taking on the head chef role, you will be spending a lot of time in the kitchen. It is, therefore, nice to have at least a few dishes, like this pineapple cheese ball, that you can prepare in advance and pull out on the day ready to be served.
Pineapple cheese balls can be prepped up to a month in advance, and as long as you store them right, they will look and taste just as good as if you had made them that very morning.
To make your pineapple cheese balls in advance, follow the recipe card steps. However, rather than wrapping the ball and leaving it in the fridge for a minimum of four hours, place it straight into the freezer.
As your pineapple cheese ball will be going into the freezer, you will want to wrap it much tighter than you would if placing it in the fridge. Plastic wrap helps to create an airtight seal and ensures that the mixture keeps its shape. Then place the wrapped parcel into an airtight container and leave it in the freezer for up to a month.
Take your pineapple cheese ball out of the freezer the night before you intend to serve it and place it in the fridge. The next day it will be ready to plate up and top with parsley and crackers.
Could You Use Fresh Pineapple, And Is It Worth The Extra Prep Time?
You might be wondering whether you could use fresh pineapple in this recipe rather than the canned stuff. The short answer is yes; if you happen to have a fresh pineapple going to waste in the middle of winter, you can absolutely use it to make your pineapple cheese ball.
However, there really is no reason to favor fresh pineapples in the case of this recipe. Fresh pineapples are not the easiest fruits to clean and prepare, and the difference in the final dish will be almost unnoticeable.
While some recipes benefit from using fresh fruits, this is not one of them. Unless your grocery store has mysteriously run out of canned pineapple, save yourself the time and frustration and stick with canned fruit when making this recipe.
What To Serve With Your Pineapple Cheese Ball
While it might be tempting to grab a spoon and dig straight into your pineapple cheese ball, it is best served with some savory snack that can be used for dipping.
Here are a few suggestions for what to serve with your pineapple cheese ball.
- Pretzels
Pretzels are a great snack to serve alongside this dish as they add a salty crunchiness to each bite. Plus, who doesn’t love an excuse to eat pretzels?
- Pita Chips
Pita chips are a classic crunchy snack to serve with almost any dip. Pita chips are available in a ton of different flavors, making them a great way to add variety to a pineapple cheese ball platter.
You could also try making your own pita chips if you really want to impress your guests.
- Crackers
If you want to keep the prep time for this dish to a minimum but still want to offer a variety of dippable snacks, you can’t go wrong with a cracker selection box. Almost every grocery store will have a range of cracker selection boxes in their festive treat aisles at this time of year.
Looking for more creative Appetizer and Snack recipes? Try these out:
• Jalapeño Grilled Cheese Rollups
• Shrimp Surprise Spread – The Best Shrimp Dip Ever!
Happy Cooking
Love,
Karlynn
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Pineapple Cheeseball
Ingredients
- Two 8 ounce packages cream cheese (Room Temperature)
- One 8 ounce can crushed pineapple (all liquid squeezed out)
- 1 ¾ cups chopped pecans (divided)
- 2 tablespoons green onion (chopped small)
- ¼ cup green bell pepper (minced fine)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Drain the crushed pineapple in a fine mesh sieve and press out all liquid until very dry.
- In a large bowl add the drained pineapple, cream cheese, 1 cup of chopped pecans, green onion, green pepper, salt and garlic powder. Stir well to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a plate and form into a ball.
- Coat the cheese ball with the remaining 3/4 cup of chopped pecans, pressing them in ensuring it is well coated.
- Wrap the cheese ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours before serving. This is best if made the day before serving.
- Sprinkle with parsley when serving. Serve with a variety of crackers or pretzels.
John says
Add some minced ham!
DIANNE KEHOE says
I have been making this recipe for over 25 years. It is our all-time favourite. Everyone loves it and asks for the recipe. I make it to sell at our bake table for the bazaar. I put it in a small 4 oz. ramekin and top it with the chopped pecans…..it is a sell-out every year.