Chew on This | Not your Mama's Holiday Cheese Ball

Definitely not your mama's ol' holiday cheese ball,  so awesomely delicious, why not make three!

This New Year's Eve put a little dab of this yummy cheese on some crackers and you'll be making a return trip.  Again and again.  This is definitely not your mama's ol' fashion cheese ball.  Three cheeses are combined to achieve a deep savory, somewhat spicy, addictive flavor.  Geez, my jeans are getting tighter already.  Good thing I have some hours before the resolutions start!

This is what you will need:
Cream cheese, Maytag Blue cheese, a good extra sharp cheddar cheese, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Wasabi (paste or powder) or hot sauce of your choice, walnuts, parsley, dried cranberries and two green onions.

Let's get started...in a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and the blue cheese.  Blend on low speed until combined. 

Finely chop the onions, mince the garlic, and finely chop only the green tops of two green onions.

Shred the sharp cheddar cheese and drop it in along with the onions, garlic, parsley, the Wasabi or hot sauce of your choice and the Worcestershire sauce.

Mix on low speed until combined.  Check seasonings and add sea salt if desired and more Wasabi or hot sauce if needed.

You can form the cheese into one large cheese ball or change it up this year and make three balls.  Roll each one in a different topping.  I did one in beautiful red sweet and tangy chopped dried cranberries (my favorite), one in chopped walnuts and one in chopped parsley...yummm!

The cheese balls can be made ahead-just wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.  They can also be made up to a week ahead and frozen...just wait until ready to use before rolling in the parsley.

When ready to serve, arrange on a serving plate and serve with interesting crackers, endive  or cut up veggies.

Mimi

Here is the recipe:

Not your Mama's Holiday Cheese Ball

12 oz of cream cheese, softened

1  4 oz package of Maytag blue cheese, crumbled (or more)
6 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (or more)

1/3 cup finely diced onion

1 garlic clove finely minced
1 t of Worcestershire sauce

dash of Wasabi powder or hot sauce, to taste

sea salt to taste
2 green onions, just the green tops, chopped fine

1/2 to 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted

1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries

Serve with an assortment of interesting crackers and/or veggies. 

In a large mixer bowl, combine the cream cheese and the blue cheese and blend.

Add the chopped onions, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Wasabi or hot sauce of your choice, and the tops of two finely chopped green onions.  Blend until combined.

You can make one large ball or divide into two or three balls and roll each in a different

topping-one in the toasted chopped walnuts, one in parsley and one in chopped dried cranberries.

Wrap prepared cheese balls in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
NOTE:  Can be made a week ahead and frozen...just don't roll in the parsley until ready
to use.

To serve:  Arrange on a serving plate and top with a few basil leaves, or decorative (faux) holly and serve with an interesting assortment of crackers and/or julienned strips of veggies.