Cheese Ball with Pineapple and Toasted Pecans
Grab a luscious block of cream cheese to wrap up the glorious nuttiness of Gruyère with layers of sweet bell pepper, bites of scallion and tangy pineapple - then throw in some toasted pecans and roll it in more. Creamy, crunchy and savory with only the slightest tinge of sweet – it’s the perfect schmear for your favorite cracker!
Equipment
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
- 1 package cream cheese, 8-ounces room temperature
- 1 can crushed pineapple, 8-ounces well drained
- ½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1 cup toasted chopped pecans, divided
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped sweet bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion
- 1 teaspoon lemon sea salt*
- ⅜ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- For serving: toasted baguette or crackers
Instructions
- Beat the cream cheese in a mixing bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add the drained pineapple, Gruyère cheese, ½ cup of the pecans, red bell pepper, scallion, sea salt, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and the kosher salt. Beat on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute.
- Gather the mixture together into a ball in the bottom of the mixing bowl and chill for about 30 minutes to firm up.
- Add the remaining ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the remaining ½ cup pecans.
- Spread the nuts out onto a sheet of wax paper. Place the chilled cheese ball on the pecans and roll, pressing them into the sides. Chill for an additional 30 minutes before serving or overnight.
- Serve with toasted slices of a baguette or your favorite crackers.
Notes
*If you don’t have lemon sea salt, you can use about ½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest and adjust the amount of kosher salt to your preference.