Cheeseballs have recently become one of my favorite appetizers to make. For one…they’re easy. No cooking required. Two…they’re always well-received. Honestly, who doesn’t love cheese? And three…you can prep it in advance and freeze until ready. Cheese freezes fantastic!
We wanted to create a cheeseball recipe that would make a good appetizer during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays. Gorgonzola was instantly our top choice because it’s just a tad bit fancy. Or at least in my opinion. Gorgonzola is like my favorite cheese of all time, after mozzarella of course.
We added pecans and cherries for texture because they seemed like festive ingredients and then we went with rosemary, garlic and chipotle chili powder for a subtle (btw, since when is that not spelled suttle? whoops!) seasoning that doesn’t take away from the gorgonzola.
Also, did anybody notice that we tried to make this cheeseball into a pumpkin shape? A creative rosemary stem plus faint (but artistic!) pumpkin lines! Anybody?! No? We were trying to be festive! 
Here’s what you’ll need
In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese, gorgonzola, chipotle chili powder and garlic
Now add in cherries, rosemary, pecans and a tablespoon or so of milk. Taste and season with s&p
Place the cheese on plastic wrap, wrap it tightly and form into a ball with your hands. Pop in fridge
This would be an excellent appetizer at Thanksgiving!!
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 ounces gorgonzola cheese
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup dried cherries
- ¼ cup pecans, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- pinch of salt and pepper
- dippers (we used gorgonzola crackers from TJ’s)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese, gorgonzola cheese, garlic and chipotle chili powder until combined and smooth.
- Add in the pecans, cherries, rosemary and 1 tablespoon of milk and mix just until incorporated. Add another tablespoon of milk, if needed.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Lay a piece of plastic wrap on your counter and spoon the cheese mixture into a pile in the center of the plastic wrap. Wrap it up tightly and use your hands to form the cheese into a ball shape.
- Let the cheese chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Serve with crackers, or dippers of your choice.
