Cheese Ball with Ham

A cream cheese ham ball smothered in pecan pieces is a classic holiday appetizer that uses leftover diced ham for one of the easiest cheese ball recipes EVER!

Learn how to make this delicious snack and get ready to impress your friends and family with this tasty dip!

Step Up Your Appetizer Game with a Ham Cheese Ball with Pecans

✔ Convert leftovers ✔ Easy Appetizer ✔ Rich & Addicting

This ham cheese ball recipe tastes like those ham rollups with green onion and cream cheese spread onto a slice of ham and rolled up. But better since it is also put on a cracker and is so much easier to make.

Super addicting, bite after bite, this is one way to use your leftover ham for a delicious savory snack.

This ham cheese ball recipe doesn’t require any cooking, making it ideal for holiday parties and holiday appetizers.

Mix up your simple ingredients and then set a few hours before serving for a perfect rolled cream cheese ball.

Ham and Cheese Ball Ingredients

• cream cheese
• diced ham
• green onions, sliced
• salt
• pecans
• butter crackers or pita chips for serving 

Cooking Tip: Use leftover ham from the Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker Boneless Ham Recipe! You can also purchase ham already cooked and diced, typically in a deli department near the packaged meats.

How to make a Cream Cheese Ham Ball with Pecans!

1. Add cream cheese, ham, green onions, and seasoned salt to a mixing bowl and mix well.

2. Form dip into a ball and place the cheese mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap.
3. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

4. Wrap the ham and cheese ball up with plastic wrap.
5. Refrigerate the cheese ball for 2 hours or until ready to serve.
6. To serve, remove the plastic and serve with your favorite crackers (we like ritz crackers). 
7. Makes 1 Ham Cheese ball.

How to get Fine Pecan Pieces for a cheese ball. 

Pecan pieces come in bags in the baking aisle near chocolate chips and coconut shreds.

If the chopped pecan pieces are still too large or you must purchase full pecans, put them in a zip lock baggie and use a rolling pin or the bottom of a cup to smash them smaller.

You can also put the pecans in a food processor and pulse on low until the size you need.

Are there any alterations to this cheese ball?

I love this cheese ball as is, but if you like, you can add a bit of shredded cheese, like cheddar, to the cream cheese mixture.

You can also change out pecans for other fine nut pieces like Walnuts. 

What is the Best Way to Serve a Ham and Cheese Ball?

The best way to serve a ham and cheese ball is with crackers or vegetables for dipping. There are a variety of awesome dippers that go well with a cheese board display, like: 

• Sliced Cucumbers– A great no-carb way to enjoy dips
• Celery sticks– Celery sticks, carrot sticks are both great with cream cheese appetizers.
• Melba Toast– I love the crunch of Melba Toasts and they hold up amazingly when it comes to cream dips.
• Butter Crackers like Ritz– Butter crackers have a smooth, salty taste that go deliciously with dips. Other types of dippers, like Wheat thins and Triscuits, work well too.
• Chips– Choose strong chips like Ruffles that won’t cave to the weight of a cream cheese dip.

How Long Does a Ham and Cheese Ball Last in the Refrigerator?

A ham and cheese ball will last up to five days in the refrigerator. Ensure to keep leftover cheeseballs covered in plastic wrap or an airtight container. 

Different ways to cover a cheeseball.

Chopped Nuts: Roasted, unsalted nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans can provide a savory, crunchy texture to a savory cheese ball.

Seeds: Toasted sesame, poppy seeds, or caraway seeds can be sprinkled on the cheeseball for a nutty flavor with a bit of crunch.

Herbs: Finely chopped fresh herbs like chives, parsley, or dill can provide a bright, herbal flavor for an appetizer recipe.

Spices: Ground spices like cumin, smoked paprika, or chili powder can provide a warm, pungent flavor to the cheeseball.

Dried Fruit: Chopped dried fruit like cranberries, apricots, or raisins can give a sweet, chewy texture to the cheeseball.

Crushed Crackers: Crushed crackers like saltines, graham crackers, or Ritz can provide a salty, buttery flavor to the cheeseball. We find this goes great with Game day!

Bacon Bits: Bacon bits can give the cheeseball a smoky, salty flavor with a bit of crunch.

Cream Cheese Craving? Satisfy it with These Mouthwatering Recipes!

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball – Dips do not always need to be savory! This chocolate chip cheese ball is the perfect dessert appetizer that will require double dipping for sure!

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip – Get your taste buds ready because cranberry cream cheese dip combines the sweet, tart, and salty for a delicious fall-friendly appetizer dip that looks beautiful and tastes amazing!

Loaded Jalapeno Popper Dip – Loaded Jalapeno Popper Dip made with bacon, cream cheese, and Parmesan topping is easily oven baked for a hot, creamy appetizer dip that WOWS!