Easy Greek-Style Cheese Ball

This Easy Greek-Style Cheese Ball is the only recipe you'll need this summer when it comes to quick and simple potluck contributions and last minute entertaining! Bursting with fresh, herbacious flavors that go perfectly with crisp vegetables or crackers, you might have whip up a double batch! 

Summertime gives me a serious case of wanderlust. {To be fair, I think my wanderlust may be chronic, but you know what I mean.} Since many families reserve their vacation time for the summer while the kids are out of school, I feel I'm inundated with images of amazing travel adventures from June to September, giving me a major longing for globe-trotting.

Steve and I both own our own businesses, so extended "time off" isn't really in the cards since we don't have anyone to stand in for us, therefore most of our getaways are those of the weekend variety. {Which, don't get me wrong, I prefer to none at all.} On the bright side, our anniversary falls at the beginning of the summer, so we usually make it a point to take a trip somewhere even if it's just a few hours away.

So far, our anniversary trips have gone like this -- Year 1: Scottsdale & Sedona, Arizona. Year 2: Sanibel & Captiva. Year 3: Key West. Year 4: Napa & San Francisco, Year 5: Pregnant, no trip. Year 6: South Beach for a quick getaway. Year 7: Charleston.

This month we're celebrating year 8 with a trip to Boston, which we're both very excited about as neither of us have ever been and both of us have always wanted to go! {If you have any food/drink/site seeing recommendations, send them my way, please!}

While we're excited about this visit, we've also begun to daydream about what we're planning for our 10 year anniversary: A trip to the Greek Isles.

For as long as I can remember, we've talked about taking "the trip" to Greece. How we chose this destination as the beacon of our 10-year celebration I couldn't tell you, but I can pinpoint my obsession with Greek landscapes to a picture I saw on a calendar in my late teens or early 20's. You know the one: Blindingly white buildings with electric blue domes perched on Santorini's craggy cliffs overlooking the sea. I mean, come on. Pure magic.

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Anyway, not to overshadow all the other fun jaunts we've had around our beautiful country over the past 8 years, but we're keeping our eye on the prize and are holding out to make our dreams comes true.

In the meantime, we're biding our time {for the next 2 years} by enjoying some of the flavors that make us think about our travel objectives.

This Easy Greek-Style Cheese Ball is packed with the ingredients you'd find in a Greek salad -- bell peppers, garlic, Kalamata olives and feta cheese -- and rolled in a herby, crushed pita chip crust that gives it amazing crunch. A few tablespoons of Greek yogurt loosen up the cream cheese and make it perfectly spreadable for your favorite crackers and crudites.

It comes together quickly and only needs to sit in the fridge for about an hour before it's ready to serve, making it ideal for stress-free, summer entertaining. {That is, if you're not out traveling yourself.}

While I can promise that your snacking will be satisfied, I can't say it'll cure your travel fever... but is sure is a tasty way to keep a yearning for wayfaring at bay!

Are you taking any exciting trips this summer? Tell me about them! {But don't make me too jealous!}

Easy Greek-Style Cheese Ball

The Kitchen Prep

This Easy Greek-Style Cheese Ball is the only recipe you’ll need this summer when it comes to quick and simple potluck contributions and last minute entertaining! Bursting with fresh, herbacious flavors that go perfectly with crisp vegetables or crackers, you might have whip up a double batch! 

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 1 cheese ball

Ingredients

  

• 1 block cream cheese {8 oz.} softened
• 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• ¼ cup chopped Kalamata or Greek pitted olives
• 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried dill

For Coating:

• ¼ cup crushed pita chips
• 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
• 2 large fresh basil leaves finely chopped

Instructions

 

• In a medium bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese and yogurt until smooth.
• Add the rest of the ingredients {minus those for the coating} and mix until well-incorporated.
• Place a piece of plastic wrap in a small round bowl to line it. Scoop the cream cheese mixture into the bowl, pressing down gently so that it takes the round shape of the bowl and cover with the overlapping plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for at least an hour -- the longer you let it chill, the firmer it will become. It will also allow the flavors to marry.
• When the mixture is chilled and firm, remove it from the fridge. Toss the coating ingredients together in a bowl or on a plate.
• Carefully remove the cream cheese ball from the plastic wrap, retaining its shape as much as possible. Roll it in the coating until the ingredients adhere to to the entire ball, rotating it to cover the whole thing.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with raw veggies, crackers or pita chips.