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Nutty Cheese Ball

A cheese ball made with cheddar, cream cheese, garlic, pecans, and paprika.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 7 ingredients
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Why it works: Cheddar cheese and cream cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 467 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Nutty Cheese Ball

Timeseveral hours

Ingredients

Directions

Make the cheese mixture

  1. Mix cheeses together.

  2. Mix in garlic and chopped nuts.

Chill and shape

  1. Chill for several hours.

  2. Roll into balls.

  3. Roll in minced nuts.

  4. Sprinkle with paprika.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

525Calories
18 gProtein
49 gFat
7 gCarbs

Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 5 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Pecans1 oz (28g / ~19 halves)196
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Cream Cheese1 oz (28g)99
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Spreadnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cheddar cheese + cream cheesetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together467 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  2. Cheese + cheddar cheesetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together984 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  3. Cheese + cream cheesetop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together473 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  4. Cream cheese + pecanstop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together465 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).

  5. Clove + garlictop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together11,368 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cream cheese
Adds a soft, creamy body that keeps the cheese ball spreadable and moist.
Cheddar cheese
Provides sharp flavor and firmness so the ball holds its shape.
Cheese spread
Softens the mixture and makes it easier to blend and shape.
Pecans
Add crunch and a toasty, nutty flavor that contrasts with the creamy cheese.

The step that matters

Chill for several hours. Chilling firms the fats in the cheese so the mixture holds its shape when rolled into balls. Rolling warm, soft cheese leads to sticky, misshapen balls.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cheese, spread, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, garlic, pecans):

  1. Jalapenofits better
  2. Cuminfits better
  3. Oreganofits better
  4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against cheese, spread, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, garlic, pecans. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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