23 Most Glorious Balls Of Cheese You've Ever Seen
If you've never dipped a Ritz cracker into a turkey-shaped cheese ball in front of a football game on Thanksgiving then you've got some living to do.
This cheese ball is basic.
It makes an excellent party appetizer this time of year.
And it is very easy to make.
But you're not here to see basic.
Great Balls of Cheese, a new cookbook by Michelle Buffardi, offers 50-plus recipes for incredibly creative balls of cheese. Some recipes from the book are included below. (The other recipes are sourced from various websites). If you like what you see, check out the cookbook here.
1. You're here to see a Nacho Cat Cheese Ball.
2. And a Pigskin Ball (Yes that's bacon.)
3. Mini Turkey Cheese Balls.
4. Big Turkey Cheese Ball.
5. Here's a Pumpkin Ball covered in Nacho Cheese Doritos.
6. A more elegant approach to the Pumpkin Ball.
7. This one is covered in bacon and jalapeño.
8. Spicy Corn Ball requires Fritos 'cause duh.
9. Beer-Pretzel Ball
10. OMG this one is covered in pepperoni.
11. Baby Chick Cheese Ball
12. This one's a snowman!
13. Spooky Spider Ball.
14. What a lovely spa appetizer this cheese ball covered in guacamole makes.
15. This Cheese Ball is trying to look healthy.
16. Peanut Butter Cheese Ball isn't trying to appear healthy.
17. Red Velvet Cheese Ball
18. Wedding cake Cheese Ball Tower.
19. There are an awful lot of Halloween Cheese Balls.
21. Severed Foot Ball
22. Cheeseball Rat
23. CHOW's Turducken-Style Cheeseball
For more glorious balls, check out the cookbook.
Here re a few recipes courtesy of the book's author Michelle Buffardi.
Spicy Corn Ball
Serves 12–15
I made this once for a Cinco de Mayo fiesta, and a family member, whose name I will not mention, ate nearly the entire thing. It's that good. I recommend issuing a warning to guests: Save room for tacos.
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup corn, canned or frozen, thawed and drained well
1⁄4 cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle in adobo
3⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1⁄2 tablespoons ground cumin
1⁄4 teaspoon coarse salt
Corn chips or crackers, for serving
PREPARATION
Using a stand mixer or a bowl and a spatula, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar, corn, scallions, chipotle, 2 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro (reserve the rest for coating the cheese ball), garlic, cumin, and salt until combined. Form the mixture into a ball and cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
Before serving, roll in the remaining cilantro to coat.
Serve with crackers.
Nacho Cat Ball
Serves 15–20
The nacho-cheesy flavor of this cat works really well with tortilla chips, but if you try to dip a chip into this feline, it'll break. Instead, spread the cheese onto tortilla chips, or serve it with crackers instead.
INGREDIENTS
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1⁄2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, preferably orange
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 jalapeño, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato salsa
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Pinch coarse salt
1 carrot, 2 nacho cheese tortilla chips, 1 pitted black olive, and fresh chives, for decorating
Tortilla chips or crackers, for serving
DIRECTIONS
Using a stand mixer or a bowl and a spatula, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar, onion, jalapeño, salsa, cumin, and salt until combined. Form the mixture into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
While the mixture is chilling, peel strips from the carrot to use as "stripes" on the cat and set aside. Peel the carrot until you reach the middle. Remove any bits of carrot sticking to the core of the carrot and reserve for the cat's tail.
Before serving, unwrap the cheese ball and break off a 3-ounce portion (about the size of a golf ball), roll into a ball, and set aside; this will be the cat's head. Form the remaining cheese mixture into an egg shape, and place on a plate. Arrange the reserved carrot strips on the egg shape to make the stripes.
Attach the reserved carrot to the back of the cat for the tail. Place the reserved golf ball-sized cheese ball on top of the cat to make the head. Stick the chips in for the cat's ears. Cut the olive into eyes and a mouth and arrange on the cat's face. Finish with pieces of chives for the cat's whiskers.
Serve with crackers.
Beer-Pretzel Ball
Serves 12–15
You'll need just a cup of beer for this cheese ball, but buy a six-pack or a case; it's not redundant to eat this pretzel-covered beer-spiked snack with a frosty mug of beer.
INGREDIENTS
4 cups shredded Swiss cheese
5 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
5 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 cup ale, such as Bass
1⁄2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1⁄4 teaspoon coarse salt
Dash hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot
4 ounces pretzels, crushed, for coating
Crackers or thick pretzels, for serving
INGREDIENTS
Using a stand mixer or a bowl and a spatula, mix together the Swiss, cheddar, cream cheese, shallots, beer, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and hot sauce. Form the mixture into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
Before serving, roll the cheese ball in the pretzels to coat.
Serve with crackers or thick pretzels.