Classic Cheese Ball

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!

If you have ever been to a dinner party without a cheese ball, I apologize. Cheese balls are the quintessential appetizer and have been for decades. I love most cheese balls, but there have been a few I didn't quite like. I wanted to be sure to make one that was amazing and beautiful, too, for our family Christmas dinner. I found a recipe that looked like a winner online and amazingly enough it turned out great. I will adapt it next time with different cheeses and maybe even use grated instead of shredded cheese, too. Adapt it how you want, but try the original first because it's surely a winner!

Classic Cheese Ball

Adapted from: About.com

Yields: 1 large cheese ball

18 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

8 ounces shredded or grated cheddar cheese

2 tsp grated onion

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

2 tsp minced garlic

finely chopped pecans

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except pecans. Mix well with a hand blender to make sure everything is uniform throughout. Roll into a ball using plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 1 hour. Remove ball from plastic wrap and roll in chopped pecans to cover the surface. Rewrap cheese ball in clean plastic wrap and store in the fridge until the day you are serving it. Set cheese ball out 2 hours before guests arrive. Serve alongside a variety of crackers.