As I have mentioned, I just recently moved (rendering me too busy to post, apparently). For all the miseries that changing abodes brings with it, there is one inevitable positive: the housewarming party! I love entertaining, and so am already thinking about the menu for ours.
One of my favorite appetizers cannot be accused of being sophisticated, but it is always a big hit at parties, and has long been a staple at family gatherings. It is my grandmother’s recipe cheese ball, tweaked just a bit.
Grammy’s Cheeseball
2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese (full fat–seriously, low fat does not work)
7 oz. of sharp cheddar cheese*, very finely shredded
1 heaping TB minced onion
1 TB drained and finely chopped pimento
1 TB finely chopped green bell pepper
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup roasted and chopped walnuts or pecans*Use orange cheddar, which gives a nicer color than white. My grandmother only used Cracker Barrel cheese–gold label–and only used about 5 oz. More adds a pleasant sharpness. In general, I am a fan of extra sharp cheddar, but here it overpowers.
Mix together all ingredients except nuts in a big bowl; Grammy always used her hands to do this, but I usually use a big wooden spoon (I imagine a pastry cutter would work well too). Dump the entire contents of the bowl onto a piece of wax paper and using your hands form a ball. While you can serve it immediately, at this point it is best to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let chill for a few hours or overnight.
Roll the cheeseball in the chopped nuts immediately before serving.
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