Here’s a simple, crowd-pleasing beef cheese ball recipe—perfect for snacks, parties, or bento boxes 🧀🥩
Ingredients (makes ~8–10 servings)
- 250 g (½ lb) cooked ground beef
(seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, optional paprika) - 150 g (1½ cups) shredded cheese
(cheddar, mozzarella, or a mix) - 2–3 tbsp cream cheese or mayonnaise (for binding)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
- 2–3 tbsp chopped parsley or spring onion (optional)
- Cracker crumbs, chopped nuts, or herbs for coating (optional)
Instructions
- Cook and season beef
- If raw, cook ground beef in a pan until fully browned.
- Drain excess fat and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, or paprika.
- Mix ingredients
- In a bowl, combine cooked beef, shredded cheese, cream cheese (or mayo), and optional onion/herbs.
- Mix until it can hold shape.
- Shape the ball
- Using your hands, form mixture into a ball or small bite-sized balls.
- Optional: roll in cracker crumbs, chopped nuts, or parsley for extra flavor and texture.
- Chill
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up. This helps maintain shape when serving.
- Serve
- With crackers, sliced vegetables, or as a protein addition in a bento box.
- Can also be sliced and served on mini sandwich rounds.
Variations
- Spicy: Add chili flakes, diced jalapeños, or hot sauce to the mixture
- Herby: Mix in fresh dill, basil, or oregano
- Baked version: Bake small cheese balls at 180°C (350°F) for 10–12 minutes until golden
If you want, I can make a mini bento-friendly version of this that’s bite-sized and kid-friendly—perfect for lunchboxes. Do you want me to do that?
