Cheese Ball – Recipe

So this is for Peggy (Sue!) .. And all the other people who’ve had this and begged me for the recipe. I don’t actually like sharing this one, it’s my “this is so easy and everything thinks I’m such a good cook when I make it” dish grrr!! But if you ever want to take something that will have everyone begging you for the recipe.. have everyone stuffing it into their mouths guiltily – this is the thing!

Um.. I dunno how to actually measure everything, I just throw it all in a bowl.
OK let me think..

Joan’s world-famous (in NZ @ least) Cheese Ball recipe

500g cream cheese – do not use light, it’s rubbish (ACTUALLY it’s cottage cheese mixed with cream cheese, ack!)
250g sour cream (plain)
1/3c basic mayonnaise (I prefer “best foods” mayo)
500g grated tasty cheese
4 gherkins – finely diced (Cut into 1/6ths longways, then slice)
2 spring onions – finely sliced (greens too) And when I say fine I mean 1/4 them then slice ’em.
A pinch of salt, a grind of black pepper and a pinch of chilli pdr or cayenne pepper. (More or less to taste)

Garnish:200g nuts – I prefer pecans. Flat sliced almonds (skins on for colour contrast) are good too tho!

Put the cream cheese, sour cream and mayo in a bowl. (I find it helps to leave them out of the fridge for a few hours beforehand)

Beat with a wooden spoon. You wanna mix them together, not kill them .. so don’t over do it.

Add other ingreds except nuts. Mix well til combined. Form into whatever sized “cheese ball” you want. Probably 2? Roll in chopped nuts so each ball is coated evenly.

Place in the fridge to chill. I just chuck it on a sideplate, cover with glad / cling film and leave it then plate later ..

To serve:

Set in the middle of a serving platter, arrange crackers around the outside.
Seriously: SNAX crackers (Ritz, to some of you) are great.

The ball goes quite firm so don’t use ‘crispy’ (breakable) crackers k. Pays to remove from the fridge an hour before serving..

Oh and if you have any leftovers, pile it on top of a baked spud and serve.
hummina hummina!

Keeps for ages in the fridge..Never frozen it, so don’t know how that would work sorry!

Enjoy!