The feta olive and herb cheese ball is truly a holiday package flourishing in taste and texture.
When I look at this festive holiday herb cheese ball spread, all I see is a colorful appetizer begging to be displayed!
Feta Olive and Herb Cheese Ball
All I can think of when I see this festive party cheese spread, are balls of mistletoe with fresh berries or ivy and holiday berries.
Festive, pretty, tasty, and begging to be dipped with veggies and crackers at your next party this feta olive and herb cheese ball should be the next holiday appetizer you prepare.
For those that love a tasty cheese ball but have yet to find the winning recipe, this is it!
Olives, lemon, and fresh herbs come together to dance across your tongue into your belly.
Plus for those of you that need a bring-a-long food and forgot to make one, this is as easy as it gets!
Now, get ready to enjoy the holidays, it’s Dip Dip Hooray!
The flavors of the Festive Feta Olive and Herb Cheese Ball
There’s nothing more blase than a basic-looking cheese ball.
I am tired of looking at nut-covered cheese balls.
Those are boring. Where’s the flavor?
Honestly, the flavor inside this feta olive and herb cheese ball is insanely fresh.
You’ll want to double-dip, but you can’t because it is a spread and you need a knife lol!
Citrus meshes with the olive to downplay bitterness and enhance the bold.
Oddly enough, no matter how many times I make and eat this, I taste it like it’s the first time every time!
Mmmmm.
Try Out Water Chesnuts wrapped with bacon, another fabulous party food and so darn easy to make.
Olive and the Festive Feta Olive and Herb Cheese Ball
Really quickly, the olives in this recipe are flexible/replaceable, however in order to achieve the right texture, and taste, do not completely omit olives.
For instance, I use stuffed olives but you don’t have to and you can use Kalamata olives use them.
My preference is for green olives because their bitter taste against the lemon just sails, but it’s all preference.
As you may prefer Kalamata, it does taste good as well and I’ve made plenty of Greek salads with Kalamata and lemon, so go for it.
Alternatively, if you prefer Feta stuffed olives or garlic stuffed olives, go for it, noting that garlic may intensify the flavor.
That said, the garlic may need to be tampered down by either more citrus or a bit of mayo instead of butter!
Always chop the olives and use pitted olives.
Spices and Herbs
So for those that don’t love parsley, sub cilantro.
Actually, cilantro is really good against the Lime Chili seasonings to enjoy!
Naturally, you could use oregano and basil on the exterior to eliminate the Limi Chili and maybe sub a red pepper or a smoked cayenne to taste!
The point is versatility abounds on this lovely cheese ball loaded with flavor.
Own the moment and make this feta and olive Cheese Ball yours!
What I always love to do is not measure.
While measuring makes perfect each and every time, I do find that a pinch of this and a zest of this works well also.
You’ll see this reflected in my formal listed recipe.
What To Serve This feta olive herb cheese ball with?
When it comes to options for digging into this appetizer, you’ll find that there are so many endless options.
For those that love a great crunch, I highly suggest celery sticks, carrot slivers, or sticks.
Cucumbers are great if they are thicker slices as are zucchini sticks.
Now if you love crunchy and textured, fig and date crackers are amazing, while thicker pita chips rock the spread!
With each bite, you will experience a plethora of flavors and textures and I am sure become quite addicted to the fastest without this feta olive and herb cheese ball.
Happy Holidays ~ Dana XO
Festive Feta Olive and Herb Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened not melted)
- 1/2 C Stuffed Green Olives with Feta Cheese drained (chopped)
- A few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
- About 1 Tbsp of Hot Sauce or more as desired
- Grated Lemon use a planer or small grater
- Lemon Juice a good squeeze of piece
- 2 Tbsp Of Garlic butter or plain butter and a pinch of garlic salt
- Feta Cheese 1/4 C
- 1/4 C of Fresh Parsley Chopped
- 2 to ps of Green Onion Chopped
- Chili Lime optional but it gives it the red berry color.
Instructions
- Using a large mixing bowl (or a hand mixer), place room temperature cream cheese in the bowl.
- Next, add olives and Worcestershire in a food processor.
- Pulse to chop.
- Remove and set aside for a minute.
- To the cream cheese add the hot sauce.
- Then add in the chopped olives mixture.
- Add the zest of a lemon (anywhere from 1 tsp to a tablespoon depending on the taste you want to evoke).
- Squeeze some fresh lemon juice (about 2 tsp)
- Drop in the garlic butter.
- Mix to combine with mixer.
- Last add in feta cheese.
- Mix again to combine.
- Either prep a cutting board that does not slide around or a silicone mat (preferred method) with a generous dash of Chili Lime Seasoning Blend.
- Using a rubber scraper remove the cream cheese mixture from the bowl (forming a ball before dropping it onto the silicone mat.
- Now, roll the ball along the spice mixture.
- Next, drop some of the fresh herbs on the ball.
- Keep the spread herb close to the cheese ball and use the silicone mat to surround each side of the ball and roll it a bit, all the while adding more herb to it.
- Once the festive feat olive and herb cheese ball is done, place it on a serving plate or bowl and add a side of veggies or crackers and a serving knife.
- Enjoy! ~ Dana Xo
Video
Notes
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