Thanksgiving Is for Cheeseballs
OK, so you read my post last week about crafting an American cheese plate for Thanksgiving, and you said to yourself, "I would love to eat that, but my family won't touch it unless it comes wrapped in individual plastic sheets." Well then maybe it's time to go plan B and make a bacon-covered artisanal cheeseball. This has got to be literally the cheesiest appetizer you could possibly serve to your guests, and yet how could anyone complain about something that combines cheese and bacon?
This Houston Chronicle article says to start with some high-quality cheeses: aged cheddar and crumbled blue. Sure, you could grab whatever "specialty" cheese you find in your supermarket case, but come on, it's Thanksgiving. Why not go all out and get some Fiscalini Vintage Bandaged Cheddar and Maytag Blue?
In a food processor, combine the shredded or crumbled cheeses with cream cheese, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Fold in green onions, shape into a ball, and chill. Now cover in crisp cooked bacon. Don't invite your cardiologist. Suprisingly, though, if you can keep your consumption down to 1 tablespoon, you will only be taking on 165 calories and 9 grams of saturated fat.
You know you want to try this, and why not? What is Thanksgiving for but to give thanks for such Frankensteinian concoctions as the cheeseball? There's always 2008 to work off those extra cheeseball pounds.
Photo from Bob Fila: McClatchy Newspapers
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10 Comments:
Great post today! I could eat this sans bacon :)
JEP at 11:45AM on 11/20/07
Um Cheese? Check. Bacon... double check. Coronary? Check (but don't care.... I can eat while on a gurney)!
EBofSpiceDish at 12:07PM on 11/20/07
The salivary glands are going full force with this one!
looloopoopie at 12:09PM on 11/20/07
Ooh cheese ball, what a great idea, haven't made one in ages. Was thinking cheese plate, but may have to go this route :)
Sarahrm at 12:33PM on 11/20/07
My variation on the cheese ball is to add 1 egg per 8 oz. of cheese and a little heavy cream and bake as a mini cheesecake to spread on crackers. This year I am making up a "Ham and Cheesecake" with cream cheese, gruyere, parmesan, and a hidden layer of minced ham seasoned with dijon in the middle! I plan to blog it at seasonedwithabandon.typepad.com
Cary at 12:39PM on 11/20/07
just this weekend i was sorting through some papers and stumbled upon my mom's cheeseball recipe. i'm excited to make some over the long weekend to take to holiday parties and the office.
j at 12:56PM on 11/20/07
Fiscalini makes some stunning cheeses! I'm particularly fond of thei San Joaquin Gold.
Curlz at 4:35PM on 11/20/07
Forgot to mention this I made this for Thanksgiving. It turned out wonderful! I used gorgonzola instead of the blue. Then I used some pancetta for the coating. I WILL be making this again for Xmas
Ineedacatscan at 4:06PM on 12/14/07
There can't possibly be 165 calories in one tablespoon of this mixture. Perhaps in one ounce, though that would still be pushing it, or in one, "serving," which would be a twelfth of the total volume of this recipe according to their suggested "servings" number. There are only 100-110 calories in a tablespoon of pure oil/fat. The math doesn't add up given the water content of the listed ingredients and the lower density of lipids.
PommeDG at 4:09PM on 11/15/08
To paraphrase Will Rogers, I've never met a cheeseball I didn't like. This one sounds oh so good.
vesmiller at 11:56AM on 11/16/08