Spicy Cheese Ball Recipe
Course: CheesePrep time
3
hoursThis festive cheese ball is an excellent choice for parties any time of the year, but its zest and savor make it the perfect choice for a New Year’s party.
When the new year rolls around, it’s wonderful to have your friends and family around as you celebrate! When you’re planning your New Year’s Eve bash, take a moment to consider what you want to serve. Though December 31 isn’t considered an eating holiday the way that Thanksgiving and Easter are, you will find that there are still lots of interesting new years recipes you can prepare.
First, remember that you can keep things light. If, like most New Year’s parties, yours is going to go past midnight, you really won’t be serving any meals. However, it is considered a good idea to have a wide variety of appetizers and light snacks to keep everyone going until the countdown!
One great way to make sure that everyone gets some nutrition on top of the night’s requisite cocktails is to have cheese, sausage, crackers and veggie trays set out. This way, people can choose the food that interests them based on their own dietary restrictions and tastes. In order to keep your trays exciting, however, it is worth putting out interesting things to dip the veggies and crackers in, and that is where a cheese ball comes in.
When the new year rolls around, it’s wonderful to have your friends and family around as you celebrate! When you’re planning your New Year’s Eve bash, take a moment to consider what you want to serve. Though December 31 isn’t considered an eating holiday the way that Thanksgiving and Easter are, you will find that there are still lots of interesting new years recipes you can prepare.
First, remember that you can keep things light. If, like most New Year’s parties, yours is going to go past midnight, you really won’t be serving any meals. However, it is considered a good idea to have a wide variety of appetizers and light snacks to keep everyone going until the countdown!
One great way to make sure that everyone gets some nutrition on top of the night’s requisite cocktails is to have cheese, sausage, crackers and veggie trays set out. This way, people can choose the food that interests them based on their own dietary restrictions and tastes. In order to keep your trays exciting, however, it is worth putting out interesting things to dip the veggies and crackers in, and that is where a cheese ball comes in.
Ingredients
4 jalapenos
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 packages of cream cheese at room temperature (16 ounces)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 tablespoons honey mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
Directions
- Remove the stems from the jalapenos and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and rinse thoroughly.
- Drizzle olive oil over the jalapenos and place on a baking sheet. Place jalapenos in the broiler until lightly charred, then mince thoroughly.
- Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, honey mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper flakes in a bowl. This is a highly adaptable recipe, meaning that ingredients can be added or removed depending on the cook’s tastes.
- Add jalapenos, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly using a hand mixer or by hand.
- Use a wooden paddle or metal spatula to roughly mold the mixture into one mass.
- Cover work surface with one large sheet of plastic wrap. Place cheese mixture onto the sheet of plastic wrap, and cover cheese mixture with wrap completely, firmly patting it into a ball.
- Place cheese ball into the refrigerator for between 3-4 hours, or until cool all the way through.
- Remove from refrigerator, and remove the plastic wrap, setting the ball on a dish. If desired, the ball can be rolled in crushed nuts, crushed crackers or even a thin layer of cracked peppers to enhance the flavor.
- Serve with veggies or seasoned crackers.
