Description
Classic Chipped Beef Cheese Ball made with cream cheese, dried beef, and green onions. This retro appetizer is perfect for parties, holidays, and game day gatherings. Easy to make ahead and always a crowd favorite!
Ingredients
Base:
- 16 ounces cream cheese (two 8-ounce blocks), softened
- 2.25 ounces dried beef (chipped beef), finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Accent (MSG), optional (see substitutions below)
- 4 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
For Serving:
- Butter crackers
- Wheat crackers
- Pretzels
- Corn chip scoops
- Raw vegetables (carrots, celery, bell peppers)
Instructions
Set cream cheese on the counter and walk away for at least an hour. I used to think I could rush this—nope. Cold cream cheese is impossible to mix smooth. You’ll beat it for ten minutes and still have chunks. Save yourself the frustration and just let it sit out while you’re getting ready or watching TV or whatever.
Use kitchen scissors to chop the dried beef. Life’s too short to wrestle with a knife trying to cut those thin little pieces that slide all over your cutting board. Scissors take two minutes tops. Slice your green onions however you normally slice green onions.
Throw soft cream cheese in your bowl. Add the MSG if you’re using it, half your chopped beef, dump in the green onions. Turn your mixer on and let it rip until you can’t see any cream cheese chunks. My hand mixer takes maybe two minutes. Don’t stop too early or you’ll have lumps nobody wants.
Time to get your hands dirty. Scoop that mixture out and form it into a ball with your hands. It’s soft, it’s sticky, it’s messy—totally normal. Some days mine looks like a perfect sphere, other days it’s more blob-shaped. Doesn’t matter one bit once people start attacking it with crackers.
Grab the rest of your dried beef and press it onto the outside. Just pat it on there until the whole surface is covered. This makes it look impressive sitting on the plate, plus you get beef flavor in every single bite instead of having to dig for it.
Wrap it tight in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour. I always make mine the night before though. Tastes way better after sitting overnight—flavors blend together or something. Also means I’m not scrambling around trying to throw it together an hour before people show up.
Peel off the plastic, set it on your best plate, pile crackers and veggies around it. Then just stand back because it’s about to get demolished.
Notes
- Use kitchen shears to chop the dried beef – it’s SO much faster than trying to chop it with a knife, and you won’t have little pieces flying everywhere.
- If your cheese ball seems too soft to shape, pop the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes first.
- Can’t find dried beef? Look for it in jars near the canned tuna, or in the deli section in vacuum-sealed packages.
- For a smoother texture, pulse the dried beef in a food processor before adding it to the mixture.
- Make mini cheese balls using a small cookie scoop – they’re perfect for individual servings and look adorable on an appetizer spread!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-bake
- Cuisine: American