It's hardly a party in the South without a cheese ball. There must be a million varieties of Southern cheese balls.
Cheese balls are a good bet, because most people like cheese mixtures. Served with crackers, cheese is filling and goes a long way.
Pineapple Cheese Ball is an especially festive version of the classic cheese ball rolled in pecans. The addition of canned pineapple gives the cheese ball a little extra flavor and a sweetness that contrasts nicely.
Adding pineapple gives a little more color to the cheese ball. So do the chopped bell peppers.
The bottom line, though, is that this cheese ball tastes great.
Party Pineapple Cheese Ball Recipe
Ingredients:
2 packs (8 ounce each) cream cheese
1 can (8 ½ ounce) crushed pineapple – juice drained off
2 cups pecans chopped fine (1 cup in cheese mixture and one cup to roll on outside)
¼ cup sweet peppers (green bell peppers are fine but red or other colors are nice too)
2 TBS onion chopped very fine
1 TBS seasoning salt (Lawry’s Seasoned Salt is very good)
Directions:
Put the cream cheese out an hour or so before mixing up the cheese ball. It will be much easier to get a smooth mixture on the cheese with the cream cheese softened a bit.
Add the crushed pineapple to the cream cheese. Be sure to drain the pineapple well, or the cheese ball will be too soft and soupy. Just put a strainer over a cup or small mixing bowl. Use the pineapple juice to add to other holiday recipes.
Also add one cup of chopped pecans (saving the other cup to roll on the outside of the cheese ball).
Along with the pineapple and nuts, add the chopped peppers and onions as well as the seasoning salt.
Use a spoon and stir until all the ingredients are evenly mixed with the cream cheese.
Form the mixture into one or two balls. This cheese ball recipe makes quite a bit of cheese, so it generally works out fine to make two cheese balls and have two dishes ready for parties or visitors. If it’s a big gathering, then a single ball is fine. The full recipe serves approximately 25 people to give a general idea.
If the mixture is too soft and messy to make the balls, then refrigerate the cheese mixture so that it thickens up. Then make the cheese balls. It’s fine to chill the cream cheese mixture overnight and work with it after it’s fully chilled.
Either way (on the spot or after chilling) roll the ball or balls in the chopped pecans.
Chill the cheese ball or balls until serving time.
The pineapple cheese ball can be topped with a slice of pineapple with a maraschino cherry in the center for an extra special display. If adding the pineapple slice and cherry, do that right before serving.
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Looking for other great holiday appetizer recipes? Try out some of these other Southern favorites:
The copyright of the article Southern Pineapple Cheese Ball in Southern Cuisine is owned by Cyndi Allison. Permission to republish Southern Pineapple Cheese Ball in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
