marilynpeight
This flavorful seafood cheese ball is sure to be a win for your holiday parties or any hosting event where you want a show stopping appetizer. This soft cream cheese ball is filled with crab, shrimp and cheese and seasoned with Old bay seasoning for a rich seafood flavor. See below the recipe for additional tips and photos on this recipe!
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Seafood Cheeseball (with Old Bay)
Ingredients
- 16 oz. softened cream cheese *see note.
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons cocktail sauce
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon Old bay seasoning. (or to taste)
- 8 oz. cooked medium sized shrimp. (peeled) *see note
- 8 oz. imitation crab meat (shredded)
Additional cocktail sauce and shrimp for topping.
Instructions
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, shredded cheese, sour cream, cocktail sauce and Old Bay seasoning. Remove the tails from the shrimp and chop into small chunks. Gently mix the seafood into the cheese mixture until well combined.
- Divide the cheese ball mixture into two portions and transfer onto the centers of two large pieces of plastic wrap. Shape the cheese ball mixture into balls using the plastic wrap and cover with additional plastic wrap as needed.
- Chill the cheese balls in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours until firm enough to transfer to a serving platter (this cheese ball is a soft cheese ball and will not be completely hardened).
- Spread several tablespoons of cocktail sauce over the top of the cheese ball and garnish with additional shrimp. Enjoy! See serving suggestions below.
Notes
Ingredients needed: Cheddar cheese, Philadelphia cream cheese, Medium sized pre-cooked shrimp, Cocktail sauce, Old bay seasoning, Shredded Imitation crab.
Note*
For this seafood cheese ball you can adjust the amounts of cocktail sauce and seasoning to preference. I did find the flavor to be stronger after the cheese ball was chilled, so keep that in mind if you wish to adjust the seasoning.
If you prefer a firmer cheese ball, you can omit or reduce the amount of sour cream in the cheese ball.
Step 1: Combine the cheese ball ingredients.
Note*
These cheese balls can be kept for several days in the refrigerator. Because of the seafood added into the cheese balls, I do not recommend keeping the cheese balls out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Step 2-3: Wrap and form the cheese balls with plastic wrap. Chill for several hours or overnight until firm enough to serve.
Note*
If your cheese ball ends up a little wrinkled after being wrapped in the plastic wrap, you can smooth it out with a spatula before adding the cocktail sauce and additional shrimp as garnish.
Step 4: Garnish with additional cocktail sauce and shrimp, then enjoy!
Serving suggestions:
We enjoy our cheese ball with pretzels, crackers and tortilla chips. You can also serve the cheese ball with pita triangles, toasted mini bagels, crostini or toasted French bread! No matter how you choose to serve it this cheese ball is delicious and a great party or holiday appetizer.
Feel free to pin this recipe for later and show of your creation by tagging me on Instagram at thismom.cooks Leave a comment and rating below if you really loved this recipe! Thank you for your support!
