Every special gathering occasion, my Mom would make Cheese balls.
Back in 1970s as party snack inspirations and whip up a trio of cheese balls those gathering and my sister's and I would polish it off after the guest's would leave. Not much has changed because now I’m doing the same thing for my family.
The most important thing to consider after making these very easy and perfect guest treats is, what elegant crudité aka cracker will you serve?
A blend of cream cheese, Cheddar, pink salmon or tuna with crushed pineapples shaped into balls and cover in pecans nuts and parsley. The thing about these are, you can make up your own recipe based on your favorite ingredients long ahead of time, storing them in the fridge or freezer until guests arrive.
Ingredients:
2 (8 oz) pkgs. cream cheese, softened but still slightly firm– the key ingredient to a good cheese ball
1/3 cup sour cream– adds extra creaminess and makes it softer
8 oz. shredded medium cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
Pepper, to taste
1 cup Pecans pieces- chopped small
3 Tbsps. dried parsley
Instruction:
Add cream cheese, sour, garlic powder and onion powder and pepper to a medium mixing bowl. Mix with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
Mix in cheese
Cover bowl and chill 1 hour until firm enough to handle and Shape into a ball using a spatula then with lightly oiled hands.
Place pecans in a medium bowl. Roll cheese ball through parsley and then pecans to cover entirely.
Serve with crackers, using a butter knife for spreading. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
NOTE: Rest at room temperature to allow to soften 20 minutes prior to serving.
