Cheese Balls were a very popular appetizer in the Mid Century kitchen. If my recipe box proves anything - it proves that. There are at least 75 recipes for balls; she even had an entire category for just balls! Cheese balls, salmon balls, date balls, meat balls, so many ball recipes!
I chose this recipe first because of the note she had written on the recipe of "Excellent." Even the name of the recipes screamed "Try Me First!"
I thought the mix of cheese was great. You get the creaminess of the cream cheese, the smoothness of the cheddar and the bite from the bleu cheese. All the ingredients really meld well together
The ball tastes pungent and strong. You really get a good pop of cheese and seasoning. I add chopped pecans, but really you could choose any nut you want. Depending on what you pick you could drastically change the flavor profile. There are tons of options for cheesy goodness.
We used Ritz crackers to serve with. I wish we had some Triscuits or some other heavier cracker. The ball is dense and I felt the Ritz were ill equipped to hold up to it.
Now, this makes an enormous ball! It is a good 5 inches in diameter at the very least. So if you are having a big party, there will be more than enough to go around. We host a Super Bowl party every year and this will be a great addition to the fare.
A GOOD CHEESE BALL
12 Ounces Cream Cheese
4 Ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese
6 Ounces Bleu Cheese
1 Small Clove Garlic
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon Poppy Seeds
1 Teaspoon Celery Seed
1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons Minced Onion
3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Nuts
2 Tablespoons Sherry
Rub a mixing bowl with clove of garlic, discard garlic.
Grate Cheddar Cheese while firm. Put three cheese into mixing bowl and allow to soften for several hours at room temperature. Add all other ingredients and mix with electric mixer.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape cheese mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Store in a covered bowl in the refrigerator until needed.
About 30 minutes before serving time, remove ball from refrigerator, reshape gently and place on cheese board
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