Festive Mini Cheese Ball Appetizers

Instructions

1. To a bowl add softened cream cheese, grated cheddar cheese and garlic powder. Mix well to combine.
2. Divide cream cheese mixture into 4 small bowls. You will have one bowl per type of mini cheese ball.
3. Prepare the other ingredients for each type of cheese ball below
4. Finally, serve with crackers or pop a pretzel stick in the top of each for easy serving.

Savoury:

1. Cook the bacon until crispy. Then pulse in a blender or food processor to get small ‘bacon bits.’ You can also chop with a knife if you don’t have a blender or food processor.
2. Mix 3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese into one of the cream cheese bowls. Then scoop out 5-6 heaping tablespoons of this mixture; form into a ball with your hands and roll in the bacon bits. *Tip: Dampen hands with a little water if mixture is sticking when trying to roll into mini cheeseballs or put mixture in the fridge for a few minutes before rolling.

Herb & Walnut:

1. To one of the cream cheese bowls stir in 1 ½ tbsp of minced basil, grated clove of garlic and 3 tbsp of shredded parmesan cheese.
2. Mix the remaining minced basil and chopped walnuts together in a bowl.
3. Then scoop out 5-6 heaping tablespoons of this mixture; form into a ball with your hands and roll in the walnut-basil mixture.

Cranberry-Almond:

1. In a food processor pulse 6 tbsp of dried cranberries to smaller pieces. If this doesn’t work, try chopping with a knife.
2. To one of the cream cheese bowls stir in 3 tbsp of the chopped dried cranberries.
3. Mix the remaining chopped dried cranberries and 3 tbsp chopped slivered almonds together in a bowl.
4. Then scoop out 5-6 heaping tablespoons of this mixture; form into a ball with your hands and roll in the dried cranberry-almond mixture.

Panko Bread Crumbs & Cheese:

1. To a small frying pan add ½ tbsp olive oil and stir in ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs. Cook until breadcrumbs start to brown, stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
2. To the final cream cheese bowl, stir in 3 tbsp minced chives and 3 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese.
3. Then scoop out 5-6 heaping tablespoons of this mixture; form into a ball with your hands and roll in the panko breadcrumbs mixture.