When life feels full and festive (and maybe a little chaotic), you need recipes that help you slow down without sacrificing flavour. This Smoked Salmon Cheese Ball is part of the holiday appetizer series I shared on CTV’s The Good Stuff with Mary Berg, and it hits all the right notes: salty, tangy, creamy, and just the right amount of bold.

It’s the kind of dish that feels special but takes almost no time to pull together. Make it and take it, or make it and enjoy it at home, either way, you’ll spend more time gathered with friends and family, not fussing in the kitchen. Serve it up with crackers, cucumber slices, or crostini and watch it disappear before dinner’s even on the table.

Why You’ll Love This Appetizer

• Packed with flavour from smoked salmon, lemon, and horseradish
• Can be made up to 2 days in advance
• Looks festive and fresh with a crunchy sesame-onion coating
• Perfect for parties, potlucks, or holiday nibbles

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 250g cream cheese, room temperature
• 100g smoked salmon, finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon horseradish, drained
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ cup thinly sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

How to Make It

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, smoked salmon, lemon zest, capers, horseradish, and onion powder. Mix until fully incorporated.
2. Form the mixture into a ball. If it’s too soft, chill for 10–15 minutes to firm it up.
3. In a pie plate or shallow dish, combine the green onions and sesame seeds.
4. Roll the cheese ball in the onion-sesame mixture, pressing gently so it sticks to all sides.
5. Wrap the finished ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 48 hours, before serving.

Tips & Serving Ideas

• Serve with seeded crackers, crostini, or cucumber slices for crunch.
• Want to stretch it for a crowd? Form two smaller balls instead of one.

Smoked Salmon Cheese Ball with Lemon & Sesame

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• Author: Andrea Buckett on The Good Stuff

Ingredients

Units USM

• 250g cream cheese
• 100 g smoked salmon, finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon horseradish, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Add the cream cheese, smoked salmon, lemon zest, capers, horseradish and onion powder to a bowl. Mix well to combine. Form into a ball.
2. Add the green onions and the sesame seeds to a pie plate or shallow dish. Transfer the cheese ball to the pie plate and coat with the onion and sesame seeds until fully coated.
3. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour up to 48 hours before serving.