Homemade Holiday Cheese Spread

Everyone needs a tasty and easy Homemade Holiday Cheese Spread to serve at all those upcoming family gatherings. This spreadable cheese is addictive and with only five ingredients, it’s the perfect appetizer. It whips together in just a few minutes, which means you have time to focus on the more important parts of that big turkey dinner!

Trust me, everyone will happily leave you alone in the kitchen. It probably should have been called holiday wife saver dip. It is good, really good! My mom was here when I tested it out. After I took some photos, her and I literally stood at the stovetop, we had run out of counter space with all the breadmaking we had done, you can read about that here, and ate half of the dip on the spot.

So, I have no doubt this will be a hit. Even my husband was disappointed, ok disappointed is not the right word, he was actually a little ticked, that we hadn’t saved him more. And on top of being a total winner of a dip, it’s so so SO easy!

Let me give you a bit of a background about this dip. My coworker, Heather, brought this into the office years ago for her birthday it was so good we gobbled it up, I’m pretty sure she took home an empty dish that day! If you’ve been following along, you know that we have a tradition at work, where you bring treats in on your birthday.

That may seem a little backwards, but it has always worked for us and you’re always guaranteed a bunch of birthday wishes. Usually, it’s a dessert, cookies, cakes, donuts that the birthday guy or gal brings in, but a few of us would bring in appetizers. Before I moved down South, I was opting for appetizers most years and I would bring in my Hot Cheesy Spinach Dip. It’s one of my favourite recipes.

My Canadian friends and family will probably know about MacLaren’s Imperial cheese or at least have seen their iconic red container on the dairy shelves. MacLaren’s is a cold-pack cheese with a signature savoury sharp cheddar flavour and it’s the base for Heather’s dip. But, when I went to pick this up in my local grocery store, there was none. Lo and behold it’s not available in the US.

Never one to back down from a challenge, I decided that a finely grated block of sharp cheddar cheese could do the trick and it does. When the ingredients get blended together the cheddar almost melts into the rest and becomes a perfectly spreadable dip.

Wait, technically it’s a spread, but personally I prefer to scoop everything. I want my ratio of dip to cracker to be three to one. I really don’t care about the cracker, it’s just a vessel to get the dip in my mouth. Use a sturdy cracker and you can easily call this a dip! Want to know how to make this dippable spread? Let’s dig in!

Homemade Holiday Cheese Spread

Five ingredients are all it takes to create this quick spread. Sharp cheddar cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, onions and celery. Here’s the rundown.

Set the cream cheese out to soften and while that’s warming up. Dice the onions and celery very small. Grate the cheddar very fine. Now, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, grated cheese and vegetables with a hand mixer until well combined. Transfer the spread to a small bowl. Serve with crackers, celery and sliced cucumbers (my favourite). Don’t forget the cheese spreader for those that aren’t scoopers.

A spread perfect for whichever holiday is coming up. Or even for those times you just need a quick appetizer because unexpected company has just walked through your door. You already have the ingredients in your fridge, it’s super simple to pull together and I promise you, this will be a hit! Like I said earlier, this really should be renamed holiday wife saver dip!

Loved Homemade Holiday Cheese Spread? Check out these other delicious holiday recipes, I’m sure they’ll hit the spot:

• Rustic Wild Rice and Sourdough Dressing
• Salsa Scalloped Potatoes
• Rutabaga with Apple Mash and Crumb Topping

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If you get a chance to make this or any other recipe on the blog and want to share. Please feel free to tag @candyjarchronicles or use #candyjarchronicles on Instagram, so I can see your post. I’d love to see what you’re cooking in your kitchen!

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