Delicious smoked ham and turkey with green onions and just a bit of Tabasco sauce, makes this appetizer a party favorite for any occasion. Bring it to holiday parties, potlucks, game or movie nights. I have seen this cheese ball disappear at many events and it’s one of our favorites that has been served every year at Christmas.
The original recipe came to us from the mother of one of my husband’s friends. I made some slight modifications, using less mayonnaise so the ball would hold it’s shape at little better and be easier to handle.
It’s so easy to make and can be served with crackers, bread, pretzels, and even vegetable trays. The nutrition has been calculated on the cheese ball alone so be sure not to go overboard, which believe me, is very easy to do!
I usually make two balls, one coated with nuts and one without. That way, those with nut allergies can also enjoy this delicious appetizer. You can also decorate the outside with things other than nuts, such as cooked bacon crumbles, chopped green onions, or sunflower seeds, just to name a few suggestions.
To cut down on the calories a little, try using Neufchatel cheese which has 1/3 less calories than cream cheese. It may not be much but every little bit helps, especially during the holidays.
If you give it a try, please let me know how it turned out for you and I would love it if you could also rate it for me. Enjoy!
Ham and Turkey Cheeseball
So delicious it won't last very long! Great for holidays and parties!
- Medium bowl
- Lg. wooden spoon or electric mixer
- Knife for chopping
- Food processor
- Cutting board
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoon
- Rubber scraper/spatula
- Aluminum foil
- 16 oz Cream cheese ((softened))
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/4 lb Deli ham
- 1/2 lb Hickory smoked deli turkey
- 2 Green onions ((finely chopped))
- 1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
- 16 oz Chopped pecans
Combine the cream cheese and mayonnaise in a medium bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon or electric mixer.
Chop the meat into fine pieces in the food processor. Add to cheese mixture.
Finely chop the green onions with a knife and add them to the cheese and meat.
Add the Tabasco sauce and mix everything together with the spoon until well-combined.
* Pour out the chopped pecans into a large bowl or onto a piece of foil.
** Shape the cheese mixture into a ball (or split and make 2-4 smaller balls) and roll in the chopped pecans.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Serve with crackers, pretzels, or vegetable trays.
Can be refrigerated for about 3 days.
* Depending on the size of the chopped pecans, if you’d like them chopped even finer, you can either chop them by hand or pulse them in the food processor.
* * If mixture is overly soft, refrigerate for an hour or two before rolling in pecans.