Description
This festive Christmas Cheese Tree is a delightful and visually stunning holiday appetizer made from a blend of cream cheese, shredded cheddar, and flavorful seasonings. Shaped into a cone resembling a Christmas tree and decorated with parsley, pine nuts, and bell pepper ‘ornaments’, it’s a crowd-pleasing centerpiece perfect for holiday gatherings served with assorted crackers.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Mixture
- 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons grated onion
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard (dry)
- 5 or 6 drops red pepper sauce
Decorations
- 1 cup finely chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper (or yellow bell pepper)
- Optional: slice of cheddar cheese or lemon peel for star topper
To Serve
- Assorted crackers
Instructions
- Prepare Cheese Mixture: In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, grated onion, ground mustard, and red pepper sauce until well combined. If making two trees, divide the mixture evenly; otherwise, keep it whole. Refrigerate the mixture until firm enough to shape.
- Shape the Cheese Trees: Place the chilled cheese mixture onto a cookie sheet. Shape each portion into a cone shape resembling a Christmas tree. You may create one large tree or two smaller ones based on your preference.
- Decorate the Trees: Roll the shaped cheese trees in finely chopped parsley, pressing the parsley evenly onto the surface to cover. Press pine nuts onto the trees to mimic garland strings and dot chopped bell pepper pieces around the tree to represent ornaments. Top each tree with a star shape cut from a cheddar cheese slice or a lemon peel.
- Serve the Cheese Trees: Arrange the decorated cheese trees on a serving platter alongside an assortment of crackers for guests to enjoy.
Notes
- Allowing the cheese mixture to chill properly significantly helps in shaping and decorating.
- You can customize the decorations with other edible items like olives or chives according to preference.
- Serve chilled and keep refrigerated if not serving immediately to maintain freshness and shape.
- For added flavor, substitute red pepper sauce with your preferred hot sauce or smoked paprika.
