Yield: Approximately 2 dozen cheese balls Bite-sized cheese balls -- studded with dried cranberries and blue cheese crumbles -- are rolled in toasted pecans and skewered with pretzel sticks for fun, easy appetizers!

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) blue cheese crumbles(feta/soft cheddar)
3/4 cup dried cranberries (apricots/?), finely chopped
1 1/2 cups pecans (pistachios/walnuts/hazelnuts/smoked almonds)
Pretzel sticks

Directions

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, blue cheese, and dried cranberries until smooth. Dampen hands to prevent sticking and form cream cheese mixture into approximately 24 tablespoon-sized balls. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or until firm.
In the meantime, toast the pecans by spreading out on a sheet pan and baking in a preheated 350°F oven until lightly toasted and fragrant, for 7 to 10 minutes. Allow pecans to cool and finely chop them.
Roll chilled cheese balls in chopped pecans, pressing nuts so that they adhere. Keep cheese balls refrigerated until ready to serve. Just before serving, skewer each cheese ball with a pretzel stick.

Tips, Tricks, & Variations

You can make the cheese balls ahead of time, but don't insert the pretzels until just before serving or they will become soggy.