Easy Hidden Valley Ranch Cheese Ball
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Who doesn't love a good cheese ball? They really have become my go-to if I need a crowd-pleasing appetizer for a party. They are so easy to make and everybody always raves over them! It's such a versatile idea too – by changing up a few ingredients, you can really make the recipe suit any season.
Take for example, this easy Hidden Valley Ranch Cheese Ball I whipped up a few days ago. This would be the perfect appetizer for upcoming Mother's Day, Memorial Day, or graduation parties… really, this would be a great addition to any celebration in the warmer spring/summer months. The fresh ingredients make it not quite as heavy as some of the other cheese ball recipes out there, but it's definitely still enough of a dish to stand on its own.
If you need a quick appetizer idea (that nobody else will think is all that quick), this might just be your new favorite recipe! It seriously takes 10 minutes of work to put together and is absolutely divine. As I was snapping the pictures for this post, I couldn't stop snacking on it!
Here's the recipe!
Hidden Valley Ranch Cheese Ball
Ingredients
2 packs light cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 pack Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 small head broccoli, stems removed and finely chopped
1 medium yellow squash, finely chopped
8-10 baby carrots, finely chopped
1 4oz jar pimento, drained
5-6 sun-dried tomatoes (from a jar), chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh dill, minced
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix and cheddar cheese. Add in broccoli, squash, carrots, pimento and tomatoes and mix well.
Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and turn mixture onto it. Form cheese mixture into a ball and wrap well with plastic wrap. Place in fridge for at least 3-4 hours (preferably overnight) until firm. (You can even freeze the cheese ball at this point if you'd like to use it later – just place the plastic-wrapped ball in a freezer bag!)
When you're ready to serve, combine pecans, parsley and dill on a plate. Take plastic wrap off of cheese ball and roll it in the pecan mixture. Serve with buttered crackers. Enjoy!