My favorite cracker spread is a round of rich, cream cheese with savory, oniony seasonings and then rolled in dried beef. The retro classic is a must-have party and holiday appetizer. Serve with lots of crackers, and step back!

Mom and dad always made this for Christmas brunch and then I carried on the tea carrying it to parties and they even have a pan version now!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces package cream cheese,softened
• 4.5 ounces dried beef, chopped or snipped into small squares 
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, one tablespoon of the chopped dried beef, green onions, onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Form the mixture into a ball. and roll in the reserved dried beef to coat.

• Sprinkle the remaining dried beef onto a plate or small rimmed baking sheet. Roll the cheese ball through the chips until the ball is covered in the dried beef.
• Gently wrap in cling wrap and pat to tidy up the spherical shape. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. It’s even better the next day, so it’s make-ahead wonderful!

Tips ‘n Such

Cream cheese can get a bit sticky when it’s warm, so as an alternative to the process above, combine the ingredients as instructed above and drop the mixture onto a large square of cling wrap. 

Draw up the corners together around the misture and twist the excess tight. Gently form the mixture into a ball and refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Unwrap the ball and roll in the reserved dried beef squares to coat. Pat the dried beef to help it adhere to the cheese ball