Cheese And Crackers Christmas Tree Recipes

CREAM CHEESE, HAVARTI, AND PARMESAN HERBED CHRISTMAS TREE

Steps:

• Mix cream cheese, Havarti cheese, Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons basil, lemon zest, and garlic together in a bowl. Transfer cream cheese mixture to a piece of plastic wrap. Roll the plastic wrap around cream cheese mixture forming a cone shape, resembling a tree.
• Stand the 'tree' upright and remove the plastic wrap. Cover the visible portion of the 'tree' with 1/4 cup basil and parsley.
• Gently wrap the 'tree' with a fresh sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

ANTIPASTO CHEESE BALL CHRISTMAS TREE

Steps:

• In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the dip and mix until the ingredients are well combined.
• Place a piece of non-stick plastic wrap on a clean bench top or work surface. Scoop the cream cheese mixture out onto the plastic wrap and completely cover with another piece of wrap (you may need two pieces to cover it).
• Use your hands to mould the cream cheese into a tree shape. Then, carefully pick up the tree with one hand and peel off the plastic wrap on the bottom of the tree with your other hand. Place the tree straight onto a serving plate.
• Use a cake spatula to smooth the edges. Decorate with olives, sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary leaves/sprigs, lightly pressing each element into the cream cheese to ensure they stay on. Brush with some sun dried tomato oil from the jar (optional but adds even more flavour)!
• Top with a star cut out of a yellow or orange bell pepper OR a thick slice of cheese.
• Serve with crackers of your choice, salami and prosciutto slices rolled up!
• Recipe Notes.
• The cream cheese is more stable in a wider tree shape rather than a tall, thin tree. The taller tree folds over and collapses.
• If you find your cream cheese has softened too much and won't hold its shape, refrigerate it until it thickens again (about 20 minutes).
• Pat dry each olive and sun dried tomato on a sheet of paper towel before decorating your tree to make sure they stay on, or they may slide off if covered in oil from the jar.

CHEESY GARLIC PULL-APART CHRISTMAS TREE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line 18x14-inch cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.
• Cut each cheese stick into 4 pieces to make 64 pieces. Separate each can of dough into 8 biscuits. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers for a total of 32 biscuit rounds. Flatten each biscuit round into 4-inch circle.
• Place 2 pieces of the same type of cheese on center of each round. Fold edges up and over cheese; pinch firmly to seal. Using photo as a guide, place biscuits randomly by assorted cheeses, seam sides down and next to each other in a tree-shaped pattern on cookie sheet, starting with trunk and working up to the top.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds or until melted. Stir in garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Brush mixture on tops of biscuits. Bake 29 to 33 minutes or until golden brown and biscuits are no longer doughy in center.
• Top with chives. In small microwavable bowl, microwave pizza sauce covered on High 60 to 90 seconds, stirring halfway through, until warmed through. Serve cheese-stuffed biscuits with pizza sauce.

CHRISTMAS CHEESE TREE APPETIZER

Steps:

• In bowl, combine well the first 6 ingredients.
• Place on plate and with hands shape into an 8" tall cone-shape.
• Press chopped parsley on "tree" all over to make it green.
• With small star-shaped cookie cutter, cut approximately 1" stars out of slices of cheese. (You can make some of them bells or circles if you want.).
• Stick about 40-50 or so toothpicks halfway (or a little more)all over evenly spaced into tree.
• Stick "decorations"(cheese stars, cherry tomato halves round side out, and olives) onto toothpicks.
• Drape lemon peel around tree, spiraling downward, to resemble garland.
• Cut a larger cheese star for top of tree.
• Place assorted crackers in stacks around base of tree for "presents".

CHRISTMAS TREE CHEESE BALL RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together the goat cheese, pistachios, dried cranberries, orange zest, rosemary, maple syrup, salt, and pepper with a rubber spatula until well-combined. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before assembling. The cheese mixture can be made up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until ready to assemble and serve.
• To assemble, transfer the cheese mixture to a serving platter and, using gloved hands greased with nonstick spray, mold the mixture into a cone shape.
• Using dry hands, gently press the freeze-dried chives onto the cheese cone to adhere, making sure to coat the entire surface.
• Insert pine nuts into the cone in the pattern of a garland. Dot the "tree" with more dried cranberries for "ornaments". Top with the star-shaped cracker.
• Serve with more crackers and crudités.
• Enjoy!

CHEESE TWIST CHRISTMAS TREE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with a silicone liner (such as Silpat®).
• Roll pastry into a 14-inch square, sprinkling with flour if necessary.
• Cut from the bottom corners up to the center top to make a triangle. Place the triangle on a prepared baking sheet and place in the refrigerator.
• Overlap the long edges of the 2 remaining pieces of pastry by about ½ inch to form a second triangle. Roll to flatten slightly. Place on the second prepared baking sheet and chill until needed.
• Remove the first triangle from the refrigerator. Lift the silicone liner and pastry off the pan and onto the counter. Trim about 1 ½ inches off the bottom of the triangle and cut a 2-inch piece from that strip. Tuck that piece under the triangle to make a trunk.
• Spread all but 1 to 2 tablespoons pesto sauce over the entire triangle, leaving ¼ inch exposed at the edges. Grate most of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the pesto. Place the second pastry triangle over top; stretch and pull it to fit, and trim off any extra dough as needed. Lightly press the edges together to seal and pat over the whole surface of the dough.
• Use a pizza wheel to cut ¾-inch horizontal strips on one side of the tree going from the outside edge in to about ¼ to ½ inch from the center; leave the center part connected to form the trunk. As you move up the tree, it may be easier to place the pizza wheel at the trunk and cut out to the edge. Repeat on the other side, lining up the cuts with the first side.
• Lift up each strip and twist 3 to 4 times. As you get up to the shorter pieces near the top, twist as many times as you can, but don't worry if you can't twist the strips at the very top.
• Brush remaining pesto over the center of the tree and any other spots you feel need it. Transfer the silicone liner back onto a baking sheet. Grate remaining cheese over top.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until pastry is fully cooked and well browned, 30 to 35 minutes; do not undercook.
• Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes before serving.

EASY FIESTA CHRISTMAS TREE

Steps:

• Cut block of cream cheese diagonally in half; arrange on serving plate with shallow rim to form triangle.
• Cut star out of bell pepper with star-shaped cookie cutter; place at top of tree. Place green onion piece at base of tree.
• Mix salsa and preserves; spoon over cream cheese. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

PHILADELPHIA PESTO-CREAM CHEESE CHRISTMAS TREE

Steps:

• Cut block of cream cheese diagonally in half. Place triangles together to resemble Christmas tree on serving plate. Cover with pesto.
• Add peppers for the tree ornaments. Insert cinnamon stick at base of triangle for the tree trunk.
• Serve as a spread for assorted crackers.