2011 Holiday Cheese Ball & Dip Recipes

All eight lovely dips were created by Del Rio tasting room staff members for the 2011 Wine Club Pick Up Party held on Saturday December 10th. It was at the party that our wine club members were able to enjoy each dip and select their favorite. Now that the voting is complete we would like to reveal our all our recipes and their creators.

1st Place: Blue Cheese Ball
Made by Jolee Wallace, Del Rio Vineyards owner

1 8oz cream cheese
1 stick of butter
1 small can of olives
Green onions chopped (use on the green part)
Small container of blue cheese

Soften the cream cheese & butter. Combine all ingredients.
Roll the shape of a ball on roll in your favorite nuts. Serve with crackers, bread or veggies.

2nd Place: Grandma Marianne’s Seafood Dip
Made by Lindsey Zagar(actually Lindsey's Mom)
2 – 4 oz shrimp
1 6 oz crab well drained
1 can mushroom soup
1 cup celery – chopped
½ cup onion – chopped
14 oz cream cheese
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
½ cup cold water
1 cup mayonnaise

In sauce pan over low heat beat cream cheese and soup until blended. Add shrimp, crab, celery and onion stir until smooth. Remove from heat and blend in mayonnaise. Into ½ cup cold water, mix gelatin until dissolved, pour into crab mixture and chill.

Nancy’s Pepperoncini Dip
Made by Gloria Eilefson

1 lb. Swiss cheese, coarsely shredded (don't use pre-bagged kind it won't work)
1/2 bunch green onions with tops, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pepperoncini
1 TBS. finely chopped jalapeno peppers (or to taste)
Mayonnaise

Combine the cheese, green onions, peppers in a bowl. Add enough mayonnaise to bind and mix well. Store in refrigerator for up to one week. Add additional mayo and pepper juice if needed. Serve with corn chip scoops, carrot sticks , etc.

Caramelized Onion & Bacon Cheese Ball
Made by Susie Moore

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion
8 oz. cream cheese softened to room temperature
6 strips bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cut onion in half. Slice very thinly. In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook stirring frequently until golden (about 15min.) Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook stirring occasionally about 30min. Watch that the onions don’t burn. Allow onions to cool slightly then coarsely chop. Blend cream cheese, bacon, onion, vinegar, thyme, salt & pepper. Remove mixture and form a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, roll ball lightly in mild parmesan cheese and display with olive penguins

Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread
Made by Juanita Wright

16oz. soft cream cheese
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
½ cup toasted walnuts
½ cup whole cranberry sauce
1 teaspoon fine shredded orange peel

Cover and Chill for 4-24 hours. Serve with bread, crackers, or fruit.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheese Ball
Made by Jenelle Miracle

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter (not all-natural)
• 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® SWIRLED™ Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter Morsels
• Graham cracker sticks and/or apple slices
BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until blended. Spoon onto a large piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist tightly (should form a ball shape). FREEZE for 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm enough to keep its shape. Place morsels in flat dish. Remove plastic wrap from ball and roll ball into morsels to completely cover (you may find it necessary to press morsels into ball). PLACE ball on serving dish; cover and freeze for 2 hours or until almost firm. (Can be made ahead. If frozen overnight, thaw at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.) Serve with graham cracker sticks and apple slices for dipping or spreading.

Holiday Cheese Ball
Made by Jennifer Kerrigan

• 1 (4-ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
• 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 6 tablespoons chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions (white part only)
• 1/2 (2-ounce) jar diced pimientos, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Beat the cream cheese and milk in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on low until well blended. Add the Cheddar, Monterey Jack and blue cheese. Beat at medium speed until well combined. Add half of the bacon, 3 tablespoons of the pecans, the green onions and pimientos to the cheese mixture. Blend on medium speed until well mixed. Transfer the mixture to a large piece of plastic wrap and form into a ball. Wrap tightly. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours. Combine the remaining bacon and remaining pecans with the parsley and poppy seeds in a pie plate or large dinner plate. Remove the plastic wrap from the ball. Roll in the bacon mixture until well coated. Wrap tightly again in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 24 hours.

Dolores's Recipe is coming soon.