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Holiday Cheese Ball Christmas Tree

Holiday cheese ball Christmas tree is a chilled cheddar and cream cheese appetizer shaped into a cone and covered with parsley, sliced almonds, and bell pepper decorations. Overlapping almond rows give the tree a branch-like texture, while pepper strips make a festive garland.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
refrigerating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 283
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cheese ball
  • 2 package (8 oz) cream cheese softened
  • 2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 tbsp fresh chives chopped
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp onion powder
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
For the coating and decorations
  • 1 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 yellow bell pepper medium, seeded

Equipment

  • 1 serving platter

Method
 

Mix the cheese ball
  1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
  2. Mix in the cheddar, chives, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper until evenly combined.
  3. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour, until firm enough to shape.
Shape and decorate
  1. Transfer the mixture to a serving platter and shape it into a cone about 6 inches tall.
  2. Press the parsley over the entire surface of the cheese tree.
  3. Arrange the sliced almonds in overlapping rows around the tree, pressing them lightly into the cheese to resemble branches.
  4. Cut a star from one side of the bell pepper and cut the remaining pepper into thin strips.
  5. Place the star at the top of the tree and arrange the strips as garland around it.

Notes

For clean shaping, chill the cheese mixture until firm enough to hold its cone shape. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended because the texture may change. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.