This yummy Dried Beef Cheese Ball is a classic holiday appetizer that can be served at parties year-round.
This easy and nostalgic recipe takes just 10 minutes to make and is the perfect blend of creamy and salty.
It's an old-school dish to serve when entertaining and you're going to love how simple it is!
If you're a fan of easy appetizer recipes, save this one for later!
Originally posted February 2019. I've updated this post to include some helpful tips and more information!
The Dried Beef Cheese Ball You Won't Want to Share
There are things about attending or throwing parties that truly delight me. I love to see friends and family that I don't get to see often. And a good party punch puts a smile on my face.
But I totally geek out when there is a cheeseball present. They are so easy to make and I think they make such a great easy appetizer idea!
Sign up for my newsletter and get a 5 recipe mini-cookbook full of quick and easy snack and appetizer recipes!
Ingredients
I had some leftover dried beef from my favorite chicken dinner recipe so I decided to make a cheese ball with it. When I was a kid, we used to eat Creamed Chipped Beef and it was SO tasty!
Don't be afraid of dried beef.
What is Dried Beef?
Dried beef, sometimes also called chipped beef is pressed, dried and salted meat that has been thinly sliced.
You find it in the canned meats aisle (by the chili and tuna) which sounds heinous but just breathe through it. Dried beef is good, really good.
- 2) 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
- 1) 5 oz. jar dried beef, chopped (you'll use ½ to ¾ of the jar)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 green onions, chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Dried beef is super salty. Some people suggest rinsing the slices. I am far too lazy for that.
Be sure to plan ahead the first time you make this recipe as it can be difficult to find dried beef. It's not available on Amazon Fresh and it's not at my local Ralphs store.
I usually pick it up from Albertsons and grab an extra jar to keep in the pantry since there are several recipes that I love that call for it.
Find it in the canned meat aisle (near the cans of chili and tuna).
So make sure you taste your cheese ball mixture before adding any additional salt.
As with all of my recipes, I love to encourage you to add other ingredients that you may like. This would have been super tasty with some black pepper and bacon bits too.
Next time I'm going to add a little onion salt. I've been adding it to everything lately and think it adds so much flavor!
How to Make a Chipped Beef Cheese Ball
Make sure you let your cream cheese sit out and soften long enough so that it is easily smushable (technical cooking term).
Add the cream cheese and seasoning to your stand mixer. You could also use a hand mixer but I never get to use my stand mixer so I decided this was how I wanted to mix it. And mix until fluffy.
Chop your dried beef and green onions. And if you're too good to buy pre-shredded cheese make sure to grate it now.
I totally get that cheese you grate yourself is way better, but I always like a good time-saving hack so this is up to you.
These old episodes of '24' aren't going to watch themselves and not grating my own cheese means I can find out if Jack Bauer is going to save the world, again, sooner.
Add the dried beef and green onions and give it a whirl in the mixer.
Add the cheese and mix it in. I'm not sure why I decided to mix in the cheese by hand as if it was some delicate piece of the puzzle that needed special care and handling.
Scoop out the cheese ball mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap. I actually needed to use two pieces, one laid perpendicular over the other piece, so I could cover the whole thing.
You may not need to do that if your plastic wrap is wide enough.
I gathered the end and bunched it at the top. If it won't stay, just a clothespin or something. I used my hands to form it into a ball-like shape.
Place in the fridge for about 2 hours to chill before serving.
When you remove it from the fridge, you can form it a little bit more to get the shape you want.
How to Serve Cheese Balls
I had originally wanted to roll this dried beef cheese ball in chopped pecans to give it a nice finished look but I couldn't find them.
Also, my oldest son is allergic to pecans and I wanted him to be able to eat this easy cheese ball too. If you are serving this for a party, consider rolling it in pecans.
They can be served with chips and crackers and even veggies (if you're into that kind of thing...).
But seriously, there is no wrong way to serve a dried beef cheese ball.
This Beef Cheese Ball Recipe is Perfect for Parties
I love serving a cheese ball recipe at a party because they are always a crowd-pleaser. They're pretty inexpensive to make and can feed crowd.
They can also be made ahead of time and sit out for a while during the party.
I'm a big stickler for food safety so it really grosses me out when I see mayo-based things out for hours. But this cheese ball with dried beef, totally ok.
When's the last time you made a cheese ball??
This cheese ball recipe with dried beef couldn't be easier! The hardest part is waiting for it to firm up in the fridge.
I mean, you know it's there. And it's basically calling your name every time you walk by.
Do you have a favorite cheese ball recipe? While I like to think this cheese ball I posted in the past is the best cheese ball ever, this cheese ball recipe with dried beef is neck and neck!
The dried beef gives this cheese ball the perfect salty, meaty flavor. And the punch of the fresh green onions is the perfect counterpoint for all the creaminess and tang of the cream cheese.
While this works great for a party, it also makes a great family snack idea. Or a mom snack. Or lunch. Since I ate this for several days after I took these photos...
Related recipes
- How cute are these Bite-Sized Cheese Ball Truffles.
- Here are 20 Cream Cheese Based Cheese Balls to Make (also some dessert options!)
- And these fried Mac and Cheese Bites are an upgraded idea for a cheese ball!
Dried Beef Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 2 ) 8 oz. packages cream cheese softened
- 1 ) 5 oz. jar dried beef chopped (you'll use ½ to ¾ of the jar)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 green onions chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- salt To taste. Remember the dried beef is already super salty!
Instructions
- Soften the cream cheese.
- Add the cream cheese, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce to your stand mixer and mix until fluffy.
- Chop the salty dried beef and green onions and shred your cheddar cheese (if you didn't buy pre-shredded to save time).
- Add the dried beef, green onions and cheddar cheese to the stand mixer and mix.
- Taste the cheese ball mixture and season with salt and pepper if it needs a little bit more seasoning.
- On a piece of plastic wrap, scoop out the dried beef cheese ball mixture.
- Gather the ends of the plastic wrap and twist to hold the cheese ball in place. I used my hands to form it into a ball-like shape.
- Place the chipped beef cheese ball in the fridge for about 2 hours to chill before serving.
- When you remove it from the fridge, you can form the easy appetizer a little bit more to get the shape you want.
- Place this nostalgic party dish on a platter and serve with an assortment of crackers, bread and veggies.
Notes
Nutrition
You're going to want to find this simple recipe again! Bookmark it or pin it so you can quickly find this cheese ball recipe with dried beef to make for your next party!
Cheryl says
Has anyone tried it without the cheese ??
Bambi says
When you say without the cheese, what do you mean? Like just dried beef and green onion and seasoning?
Catherine says
This has been a family favorite for years! However, we use a can of chopped black olives and omit the green onion. So good!
Cindy says
I was always taught to rinse the beef and pat it dry to cut the salt. Just takes a minute.
Deb says
We’ve had this recipe in our family for approx. 50 years or more. The only difference is we use 1/2 jar of Kraft Old English cheese spread instead of the cheddar cheese. I also use the jarred dried beef, but my sister prefers to use the Buddig packaged dried beef. No difference in the flavor. It’s a great recipe and our families always expect it at Christmas time.
Heather says
I’ve never heard of beef in a jar. We buy Budig slices in the lunchmeat/hotdog aisle and finely chop. Same recipe otherwise. Years ago there was a grocery chain called Big Bear. If anyone is looking for their Melissa’s Famous Cheeseball recipe that you could buy in fresh-made tubs in the deli at Big Bear, this is it. My best tip is to use either whipped cream cheese or make sure your cream cheese blocks are super soft (room temp) otherwise it’s hard to mix.
Terri says
I loved the Big Bear deli and Melissa's Cheeseball was the best.
Juliann Peach says
Can these be frozen?
Donna says
Made this cheese ball for New Years Eve. It had been years since I had made it. Love it. Flavor gets better as it sits. Make it a day ahead.
Sharon Garofalow says
That's a great tip! Thank you for sharing! It's starting to be harder and harder to find the dried beef! I need to stock up!
Bev says
This is a wonderful recipe that I’ve been using for thirty+ years. I do a couple of things different that my recipe called for. I chop my dried beef in a mini food chopper to a very fine chop. My recipe also makes two large balls or three small ones. I usually do the two large, one for party and one for family event. I use three jars of beef and three blocks of cream cheese. One jar or ⅓ of the chopped beef for rolling onto the cheese balls on the outside. I increase the amount of chopped onions, and other ingredients and just a touch of onion powder and garlic. No extra salt needed. My family request this every holiday or gathering. I like it because I can make it the day before.
Sharon Garofalow says
I love to hear how everyone makes this just a little different! I definitely need to get my hands on a mini food chopper!
Serena Gonzalez says
This sounds great. Can it be made with. Colby Jack cheese?
Susan Delano says
This is one of my favorites cheese balls. I cut the beef up in small pieces. Then I mix half of the beef in with all of the other ingredients, roll it into a ball, chill it, and then roll it in the other beef to cover the outside.
It is amazing!
Sharon Garofalow says
That is a great idea! I'll have to try adding the beef to the outside next time. Do you use dried beef for any other recipes?
Amber says
I've been making this exact recipe for 25 years. It's so delicious