Royal Orb Cheese Ball (Print Version)

A festive cheese ball featuring creamy cheeses, pomegranate seeds, and chopped pistachios for a jeweled finish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheese Mixture

01 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
02 - 5 oz sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
03 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
04 - 2 tbsp sour cream
05 - 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
06 - 1 garlic clove, minced
07 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
08 - ¼ tsp salt, optional

→ Coating

09 - ½ cup pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped
10 - 1 large pomegranate, seeds only (about 1 cup arils)
11 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly blend cream cheese, cheddar, feta, sour cream, chives, garlic, black pepper, and salt until smooth.
02 - Form the blended cheese mixture into a large ball using clean hands or a spatula; refrigerate for 10–15 minutes if too soft to handle.
03 - Wrap the shaped ball tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm and allow flavors to meld.
04 - Remove the cheese ball from wrapping and place on a serving platter.
05 - Gently press chopped pistachios and pomegranate seeds over the surface, alternating to create a jeweled effect; sprinkle with parsley if desired.
06 - Offer immediately alongside crackers, crudités, or flatbread.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It looks dramatically elegant but requires almost no cooking skills, just a steady hand and clean bowl.
  • You can make it hours ahead, which means you're actually relaxed when guests arrive instead of frantically whisking in the kitchen.
  • The contrast of creamy, tangy cheese with burst-in-your-mouth pomegranate seeds and buttery pistachios is genuinely addictive.
02 -
  • If your cream cheese isn't actually soft when you start, the mixture will have lumps no matter how much you stir, so let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes first.
  • The pomegranate seeds release their juice over time, so coat the orb as close to serving as possible or they'll start looking sad and the color will run.
03 -
  • Have a small bowl of hot water nearby when you're coating—damp fingers help you press the pomegranate seeds and pistachios on more firmly without bruising them.
  • If you're serving this at a very warm gathering, place it on a bed of ice under the serving platter to keep it from softening around the edges.
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