Best Antipasto Cheese Ball Christmas Tree Recipes

Antipasto Cheese Ball Christmas Tree image

Provided by Bonnie G 2

Categories Spreads

Time 1h

Yield 1 Tree, 14 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 16

4 cups cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced (or capsicum )
1/4 cup dill pickle, finely diced
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
salt, to taste (optional)
1 1/2-2 cups pitted mixed olives (I use a variety of black, green and Kalamata olives, dried with paper towel)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato, chopped (dried with paper towel)
6 rosemary, to decorate
Ritz crackers, water crackers or pretzel, for serving
salami, slices for serving
prosciutto, slices for serving
1 teaspoon salt

Steps:

In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the dip and mix until the ingredients are well combined.
Place a piece of non-stick plastic wrap on a clean bench top or work surface. Scoop the cream cheese mixture out onto the plastic wrap and completely cover with another piece of wrap (you may need two pieces to cover it).
Use your hands to mould the cream cheese into a tree shape. Then, carefully pick up the tree with one hand and peel off the plastic wrap on the bottom of the tree with your other hand. Place the tree straight onto a serving plate.
Use a cake spatula to smooth the edges. Decorate with olives, sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary leaves/sprigs, lightly pressing each element into the cream cheese to ensure they stay on. Brush with some sun dried tomato oil from the jar (optional but adds even more flavour)!
Top with a star cut out of a yellow or orange bell pepper OR a thick slice of cheese.
Serve with crackers of your choice, salami and prosciutto slices rolled up!
Recipe Notes.
The cream cheese is more stable in a wider tree shape rather than a tall, thin tree. The taller tree folds over and collapses.
If you find your cream cheese has softened too much and won't hold its shape, refrigerate it until it thickens again (about 20 minutes).
Pat dry each olive and sun dried tomato on a sheet of paper towel before decorating your tree to make sure they stay on, or they may slide off if covered in oil from the jar.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 258.9, Fat 24.4, SaturatedFat 13, Cholesterol 72.9, Sodium 589.3, Carbohydrate 7, Fiber 1.2, Sugar 3.9, Protein 4.8

Christmas Tree Cheese Ball image

Provided by Ree Drummond : Food Network

Categories appetizer

Time 45m

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces sharp Cheddar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 to 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 scallions, sliced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup very finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
Buttery crackers, such as Ritz, for serving

Steps:

Add the cream cheese, Cheddar, cayenne, Worcestershire, scallions, lemon juice and some salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is almost smooth; you still want a few bits of cheese in there. Remove with a rubber spatula to a piece of plastic wrap and wrap up the cheese mixture. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Shape the cheese mixture with your hands into a Christmas tree/cone using the plastic wrap to keep it together. Mix the chopped parsley and dill together on a plate or work surface. Coat the shaped cheese in the chopped herbs.
Transfer the cheese tree to the center of a platter. Decorate with the pomegranate seeds as ornaments. Serve with buttery crackers.