#212_Cheese Balls

One of the appetizers that I served both on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve was Cheese Balls.

On Christmas Day I served the ones from Hickory Farms (store-bought kind) which was a bit disappointing because they were hard as a rock even after microwaving them.


So for New year's Eve, I decided to make some from scratch.... custom made. One good thing about making them yourself is that you can put anything you like and anything you want to with the cream cheese.

I made 2 kinds of cheese balls from the same mixture. On one of the cheese balls I added some Sambal Oelek (chili paste) for the ones who like their food spicy.

Here's the recipe:

2 pkgs cream cheese, room temperature-soft
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 oz of Ranch Style Dressing mix (powder)
1/3 cup finely chopped cooked bacon
about 2 drops of worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp. chili paste, optional

2 cups chopped pecans or almonds

1) Toast nuts in 350 degrees oven for about 5 minutes. Let cool then chop. Set aside.

2) Stir the cream cheese first with a sturdy wooden spoon or electric hand mixer until smooth then add the rest of the ingredients except the nuts. Mix until well blended together.
Form into 2 balls, then roll each ball into the chopped pecans. Wrap in plastic wrap then
refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Take out of fridge 1/2 hour before serving.

Serve with your favorite crackers.