Ambrosia Cheese Ball (Giant Eagle Copy Cat Recipe)

When I go to visit my parents, my mom thinks that I am starving to death here in NC, so she makes it her mission to drag me to the grocery store and load me up with things that she thinks I need to have to eat. She does not seem to understand that  I would much rather make my own foods fresh at home versus buying premade/premixed items.

The latest item that I was sent home with was an Ambrosia Cheese Ball from Giant Eagle. I have to admit that the cheese ball was insanely delicious spread on graham crackers. I have searched the internet looking for the recipe but have come up empty handed for a copy cat recipe.

I told my mom about this and her solution was trying to buy me like a dozen of them. I'm not sure how she thought I could possible eat so many at one time. Yes they are delicious, but really?! I swear my mom is greatly lacking in common sense some times.

After talking her out of buying a ton of them, she said that she'd ask for the ingredients for what goes into them. She found a nice, older lady at the local store who very willingly slipped her the recipe. Yippee!

Ambrosia Cheese Ball

3 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
8 oz. butter cheese, softened
1 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple, well drained
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
3 maraschino cherries for garnish

Thoroughly mix cream cheese, butter cheese, pineapple, sugars, vanilla, coconut, and dried cherries. Shape into 3 balls. Roll each in pecans (if desired) and place a maraschino cherry in the center of each.  (Depending on the brand, you may need to warm the butter cheese to make it mixable.)

Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Serve with graham crackers.