Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Ball

One of the best things about living up in Northern British Columbia are the long summer days filled with salmon fishing.

Ok, so this year I haven’t been salmon fishing (yet), but my husband has been all over it. A couple weeks ago he set out with some work buddies for a day long trip just off the coast of BC, to do a little deep-sea fishing. They brought home loads of fresh halibut and salmon.

My backyard was turned into an assembly line of fish cleaning, filleting, and deboning. I was ok with this as long as I didn’t have to get my hands dirty. My husband had big plans for the salmon…

Last summer my husband bought a smoker so we could enjoy our own freshly smoked salmon. He planned on smoking 75% of the salmon he caught, and let me keep the other 25% for cooking. Winning!

I’m not going to give you the recipe for smoking salmon, because I’m guessing most normal people do not own smokers. But rest assured, you can buy pre-smoked salmon at the grocery store and it’s just as good.

I will, however, give you an amazing recipe for a Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Ball.

This amazing hunk of cheese is perfect for entertaining. Your guests won’t be able to keep their hands off of it.

The smoked salmon is mixed with a combination of cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, and a few amazing herbs and spices, then it’s rolled in chopped walnuts for the perfect crunch.

Want to know something strange?

My husband loves salmon but he doesn’t love it with lemon on it.

Who is this man?!

He actually really hates it with lemon… which means I’m always trying to come up with new ways to cook salmon without using lemon. I snuck a little bit of lemon juice in this cheese ball to help brighten up the flavors, and guess what?!?! … He still totally LOVED it.

Because seriously… who could resist a big ball of cheese with smoked salmon in it? Not me, and apparently, not him either.

You can serve this cheese ball with crackers (bagel crisps = amazing), or fresh cut veggies like cucumbers, celery sticks, or even sliced tomatoes.

Whether it’s football watching, baby showering, or office partying, you’re going to be the star of the party with this tasty Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Ball.

So grab some crackers and dig in!

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Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Ball

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Ball is an appetizer loaded with flavor!

• Author: Shawn
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 15 servings 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: no cook
• Cuisine: American

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 oz. smoked salmon, cut into small pieces
• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp minced fresh dill
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste*
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap out on the counter out of the way.
2. Combine all the ingredients except for the walnuts in a large bowl. Use clean hands to squish and mix the cream cheese and other ingredients together. Form the mixture into a large ball and place on top of the plastic wrap, then wrap up tightly. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
3. Place chopped walnuts in a large bowl and then roll the cream cheese ball into the walnuts, gently pressing until cream cheese ball is covered with the nuts. Place on a serving platter with crackers and cucumber slices if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

*Keep in mind that most smoked salmon is a little on the salty side, so add extra salt sparingly. Taste test to check the saltiness before adding more.

Keywords: smoked salmon, cream cheese, cheese ball