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Pineapple Pecan Cheese Ball: Cream cheese mixed with crushed pineapple, peppers, scallions, and pecans – the perfect sweet-salty addition to any party or gathering!

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My aunt is the cheese ball queen.

She has 3 cheese ball recipes that she pulls out once a year, typically at either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Considering we are a family of 8 (now 9 with the addition of Alex) on a good day, making 3 cheese balls for one holiday gathering seems a bit extreme, but she continues to make all of the recipes as each one is someone’s favorite.

My mother, my aunt and I are partial to the Pineapple Pecan Cheese Ball. Her version includes cream cheese, crushed pineapple, green onions and plenty of pecans.

This year, after eating my weight in cheese ball at Thanksgiving (don’t worry, I gave her cheddar and blue cheese ball some well-deserved attention as well), I decided to recreate this salty-sweet wonder in my own kitchen.

Pineapple and pecans and cheese might seem a little bit wacky, but I promise – it is awesome.

The sweetness of the pineapple is balanced by the pepper (red in my version), green onion and Worcestershire sauce, and the crunchy pecans are basically a must to round the whole thing out.

I wish I could say that you need crackers to spread it on, but I would have a total Pinocchio moment if I told you that I had never eaten it straight from the spoon.

Just like with my Cream Cheese Ranch Rollups, you can make this the night before or early in the morning the day of – you’ll be glad that you allowed the flavors to meld into each other, making it 10 times better.

Just try to actually use a cracker as a vehicle to get it to your mouth – particularly if you are serving it at your New Year’s Eve party. Your guests will thank you.