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Chili Cheese Frito Cheese Ball – delicious savory cheese ball perfect for dipping, loaded with garlic, onion, cheddar and cream cheese, and crunchy chili cheese fritos!
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At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe – my goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
I want each reader to walk away with a solid knowledge of each recipe, with all of the tips I’ve gathered from extensive testing of each recipe. I also answer questions my friends and family have asked about my recipes, to help everyone better understand the processes we use – and why!
Crunchy Frito Cheeseball
This recipe is a little spicy, with notes of garlic, onion, chili powder, and tons of creamy cheese – it is so addictive, don’t be surprised when it is the first thing gone at your party!
This cheese ball is great to use as a dip or spread, with vegetables, crackers, chips, and even more fritos!
It’s a mixture of sour cream, cream cheese, and cheddar – and comes together lightning quick, you can make it ahead of time or when you’re ready to serve, making this a perfect party appetizer.
What I will help teach you:
- How to mix a cheese ball
- How to store a cheese ball
- What type of cheese to use in a cheese ball
- How long a cheese ball lasts
We hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
How To Make A Cheese Ball
Making a cheese ball is very easy – simply crush your fritos and set aside, while mixing everything else and shaping it into a ball that you then roll through our crunchy frito topping.
You can make a giant appetizer cheese ball, or lots of mini cheese balls, depending on how you want to serve your guests. This recipe is super simple – you can try mixing in other herbs and spices, try other chips or nuts as the topping, or swap out ingredients you don’t like.
- In a large bowl, add cream cheese, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, garlic and onion powder, and chopped green onion or chives.
- Mix with stand or handheld mixer. Can also mix with a spoon, but we find best results with a stand or handheld mixer for more even results.
- When cheese is mixed well, scoop up and roll into a ball shape, using your hands. Do this quickly, as the heat from your hands will melt the cheese.
- Once cheese has been shaped into a large ball, roll through crushed fritos.
- Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set.
- Serve with crackers, chips, vegetables, or more fritos, and enjoy!
Tips To Perfect Easy Cheese Balls
Use softened, but not too soft, cream cheese. This sounds confusing – but you want your cream cheese to be soft enough to mix, but cold enough to still be able to form into a ball shape – so you’ll want cream cheese that is in between softened and right out of the refrigerator cold.
Shred your own cheese – we find the bagged pre-shredded cheese doesn’t mix as well and incorporate into cheeseballs, plus fresh shredded cheddar tastes better in this recipe!
FAQs
Cheeseballs can last up to two weeks in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container, making them a great party appetizer!
Cheese balls can sit out 4-6 hours when kept in a cool place, away from heat and direct sunlight.
Cheese balls are a huge hit at parties because they can sit out for a while before going bad.
You can freeze cheese balls for up to four months. Let thaw naturally in refrigerator.
While you can use bagged, pre-shredded cheese in a cheese ball, we recommend shredding your own as it tastes better and incorporates easier into this recipe.
Other Easy Cheesy Dishes You’ll Love
If you love this easy recipe, be sure to check our some of our recent favorites:
You can find more appetizers here.
Chili Cheese Frito Cheese Ball
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Chili Cheese Frito Cheese Ball Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened slightly
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 8 oz. shredded medium cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ cups crushed chili cheese fritos
- ¼ cup chopped green onions or chives, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add cream cheese, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, garlic and onion powder, and chopped green onion or chives.
- Mix with stand or handheld mixer. Can also mix with a spoon, but we find best results with a stand or handheld mixer for more even results.
- When cheese is mixed well, scoop up and roll into a ball shape, using your hands. Do this quickly, as the heat from your hands will melt the cheese.
- Once cheese has been shaped into a large ball, roll through crushed fritos.
- Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set.
- Serve with crackers, chips, vegetables, or more fritos, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
