Reuben cheese ball is an amazing appetizer with all the flavors of a classic Reuben!
If you were around here at Christmas, you might have caught me going on and on about how much I like cheese balls. What’s not to love? You can take all of your favorite flavor combinations, mix them with some cream cheese, and dip some crackers into it. I’d say that’s winning.
Of course, if you were reading last week then you might have deduced that I kind of have a thing for Reubens. Reuben sandwiches, as I said in my Reuben soup post, just have so many different flavors that work so well together. I started thinking…if they go well in soups, where else would the flavors of a Reuben work?
Back in January, my friend Christin, who writes the blog Spicy Southern Kitchen, posted a recipe for a warm Reuben dip made in the slow cooker. I thought that sounded like a pretty fabulous idea, then it dawned on me that Reuben flavors wouldn’t just work well in dip recipes but also in cheese ball. Yep yep. I’m always trying to think of what other flavors would work well in a cheese ball, and indeed…Reuben cheese ball was a grand idea.
I was a little concerned that the dressing might make the cheese ball too…wet. As I mixed it up and tasted, I started with just a little dressing and tasted. It really didn’t have the flavor that I wanted, but I was afraid to mix in any more. I did it anyway, though, and it turns out that I needn’t have worried. After refrigerating it for a couple of hours it had a perfect solid cheese ball consistency. I wanted to serve it with rye melba toasts, but I couldn’t find any at the grocery store. Who knew that Triscuit made rye crackers? Not me. I do now, though, and they were perfect with this Reuben cheese ball!
What do you say about cheese balls – yea or nay? Comment below and let me know! And if you love them as much as I do, here’s another easy cheese ball recipe you’ll love!
Mary
15 minPrep Time:
15 minTotal Time:
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces (about 1 cup) corned beef, chopped (you can cook it yourself or purchase it from the deli)
- 4 ounces (about 1 cup) Swiss cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup sauerkraut, well-drained
- 1/4 cup Reuben dressing (recipe follows)
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- crackers or rye crostini, for serving
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish or hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon pickle relish
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions
- Stir together the dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and dressing. Form into a ball.
- Place the chopped pecans on a plate. Roll the cheese ball in the pecans. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
- Serve the cheese ball with crackers (we used Triscuit rye crackers) or rye crostini.
Find other great recipes on the Weekend Potluck linkup on The Country Cook!
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