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    Home » Basil Pesto Goat Cheese Ball

    March 23, 2018 Appetizers

    Basil Pesto Goat Cheese Ball

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    Believe it or not, sometimes I find myself with leftover pesto.  I know, I know, seems impossible! But since I've been trying to stuff myself with less pasta and more veggies, I'm finding that an entire recipe of Basil Pesto stretches more on things like zoodles and grilled veggies than it does with starchy pastas. Basil Pesto Goat Cheese Ball

    Jump to Recipe

    Hence, leftover pesto.

    Another thing I find myself throwing out routinely, is left over cream cheese. I don't eat cream cheese very often, unless it is to make my all-time most popular recipe: Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts. However, that recipe only calls for half a package of cream cheese! Since I never need it for anything else, it eventually dies a slow death in the fridge before I call it and throw it out.

    SAD!

    Basil Pesto Goat Cheese Ball Ingredients

    Naturally, when I was having a few last minute guests over the other day, both the leftover pesto and leftover cream cheese were staring back at me when I opened the fridge, foraging for something to serve people other than pinot noir.

    Basil Pesto Goat Cheese Ball ready to go into fridge

    Packed up and ready to chill

    I realized I had the opportunity to do something I've wanted to do for a long time: modernize the cheese ball.

    You see - a cheese ball is really a great thing for entertaining! It can be made ahead, keeps wonderfully, is easy to have a little or a lot of, and doesn't need to be watched and replenished.  You simply put out the cheese ball, and call it a night.

    Basil Pesto Goat Cheese Ball

    I've updated it here with the fresh flavor of goat cheese, which pairs exceptionally well with pinot noir, but is also a delightfully tangy addition to the table for your white-wine loving friends as well.  The cream cheese cuts the goat-y-ness a bit, and also stretches your dollar ( since goat cheese can get pricy! )

    We really loved this easy goat cheese appetizer - so much so that I just might be inspired to experiment with a few more versions in the next months!

    Basil Pesto Goat Cheese Ball

    Would you like to see more updated classic recipes like this basil pesto goat cheese ball? If so, what kind of classics would you like updated? Let me know in the comments or on social media!

    Basil Pesto Goat Cheese Ball

    A light, fresh cheese ball recipe that can be made well in advance to serve a crowd at your next party.
    4.29 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 24 servings
    Author: Basil and Bubbly

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz goat cheese
    • 4 oz cream cheese
    • ⅓ cup basil pesto
    • 1 cup pine nuts toasted if you feel like it, untoasted if you don't.
    • plastic wrap

    Instructions

    • Mix the cheese and pesto in a bowl until well combined.
    • Scrape the contents of the bowl onto a sheet of plastic wrap, gather into a rough ball and twist at the top to seal.
    • Freeze for one hour, or put in the fridge for about four hours ( or until the cheese ball firms up ).
    • Place the pine nuts in a bowl. Drop the cheese ball directly from the plastic wrap into the bowl and discard the plastic wrap. Roll the cheese in the pine nuts until the entire ball is covered in nuts.
    • Serve with crackers or a sliced baguette and a few sprigs of fresh basil.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @basilandbubbly or tag #basilandbubbly!

     

    basil pesto goat cheese ball
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karli says

      November 23, 2020 at 5:00 pm

      If making this ahead of time, would you keep the ball in the plastic wrap in the fridge and drop it into the pine nuts day of?

      Reply
      • Marianne says

        November 24, 2020 at 5:04 am

        yep, that's exactly what I'd do

        Reply
      • Marianne says

        November 25, 2020 at 1:06 pm

        Yes, that's exactly what I do when I make it actually!

        Reply

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    My name is Marianne, and I'm two parts food, one part booze, and a dash of snark. I live in Atlanta, GA with my two cats. My personal motto: Champagne and stretchy pants. Sign up for my mailing list to keep up with the new and seasonal recipes!

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