Easy Peasy Ball'o' Cheesy Cheeseball

Hope the title wasn't too cheesy! ;)

I'm a little slow on the posting of my Thanksgiving Day recipes. This week has been crazy and I think I was still in a turkey and pumpkin pie induced stupor. This year I managed finagel bringing appetizers and desserts to the two festivities that we attended and hosted. Apps and dessert are my favourite things to bring to a function so I was in my glory!

This cheeseball is a new recipe that I tried out but I also brought my homemade tried-and-true Sundried Tomato Basil Pesto and put it over creamy goat cheese. It ... was ... divine!! I had to remind myself to share with everyone else. Definitely give that combo a try.

For our Thanksgiving celebrations with my side of the family I made this recipe and brought a couple of humongous cheeseballs. I have never made them before even though I do enjoy a nice ball'o'cheese once in awhile. They went over really well (especially with Brad who loved them).

I only made two cheeseballs but next time I think I'll portion it to make four instead since they were a little on the large side. Nicely seasoned, these were really easy to make. If you have a stand mixer use it. Makes life much easier. Another tip is to use the sharpest, tangiest cheddar you can find to give your cheeseball the zing it requires.

2 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1/2 tbsp hot pepper sauce
1 cup pecans, finely chopped (optional)

Place finely chopped pecans (if using) in a shallow dish and set aside.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), mix the cream cheese until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese and mix until just combined. Add all of the seasonings and sauces to the cheese mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.

With lightly greased hands, portion the cheese mixture into 2-4 balls (depending on how large you want your cheeseballs). Roll each portion into a ball.

If you're coating in pecans: Hold a cheeseball in one hand over the dish of pecans. With the other hand press the pecans into the cheeseball, rotating it as you go. The excess pecans will fall back into the dish to be used on the next cheeseball.

Cover each cheeseball with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Freeze extras by putting each plastic wrapped cheeseball into a freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible and freeze until needed.

Recipe From: www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com