As a Blue Diamond Tastemakers blogger, I am sharing with you all this recipe for an easy to make, crowd pleasing Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Cheese Ball. This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds.
My husband and I love to entertain all year round, but we really kick up our party and get-together hosting once the warmer weather arrives. Our side deck and fire pit become an extension of our kitchen and dining area making it easy for us to invite over and entertain even more family and friends. Most of our summer get-togethers are laid back with very little fuss. While I love cooking and creating in the kitchen, I would rather be spending more time chatting with our guests and enjoying the company so I try to make self-serve dishes and appetizers that I can easily prep while guests are arriving or that can be completely made ahead of time.
When Blue Diamond sent me some of their brand new Bold Sriracha Almonds to try, I instantly was inspired to create an easy to make cheese ball that would be perfect for summertime entertaining. These Bold Sriracha Almonds are addictive, my friends. After enjoying a few small handfuls of these crunchy and spicy almonds, I knew I wanted to pair them with a little sweetness for this cheese ball. This Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Cheese Ball is the perfect combination of sweet & spicy with its roasted, crunchy sriracha almonds, sweet dried apricots, cooling cream cheese, and an added extra kick of heat from a little sriracha sauce...
Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Cheese Ball
by
Prep Time: 20 minutes + 2 hours chilling
Cook Time: None
Ingredients (serves 8)
- 8oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp Sriracha sauce (more or less, to heat preference)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
- 2/3 cup Blue Diamond Bold Sriracha Almonds, finely chopped
- Crackers for serving
Instructions
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, mozzarella, Sriracha sauce, honey, and garlic powder until well mixed. Fold in the chopped dried apricots and 1/4 cup of the chopped Blue Diamond Bold Sriracha Almonds (reserve the rest of the chopped almonds to coat the cheese ball later). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Once the cheese mixture is well chilled, remove from the bowl and shape into a ball. Spread the remaining chopped almonds on a plate. Roll the cheese ball in the almonds until well coated, pressing in the almonds as needed. Wrap in plastic wrap and be sure chill until ready to serve.
Serve the cheese ball with various crackers and more Blue Diamond Bold Sriracha Almonds on the side, of desired.
Enjoy!
Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
**Tip- Make quick work of chopping the almonds by placing them in your food processor and quickly pulse on chop.
**Tip- Make quick work of chopping the almonds by placing them in your food processor and quickly pulse on chop.
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I served this cheese ball with some extra Blue Diamond Bold Sriracha Almonds scattered around it so my guests could enjoy the spicy, flavorful of the crunch of the almonds alone as well in the cheese ball. Folks, these almonds are definitely one of my new favorite smart snacking options. :)
What are your tips for keeping summertime entertaining fuss-free and easy?
How would you enjoy these new Blue Diamond Bold Sriracha Almonds- straight from the can or in a bold and flavorful recipe? :)
If you loved this recipe using the Bold Sriracha Almonds, then you also might like these recipes...
