Foodsmiths Original Recipe by Marilyn
Mini cheese balls
This is the base for all cheese balls big and small! By changing and combining different add-on ingredients, you can create your own signature flavour!
You will need:
- 2 x 250gr Western Cream Cheese at room temperature
- 250g hard cheese grated (I used Ivanhoe Smoked Gouda or change up to any hard cheese you favour)
- 3 tablespoons mayo
- 12 green grapes and 12 red grapes, finely chopped
- 1 small shallot diced finely (change up: use green onions, sweet onions, garlic or none of the above)
- 1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans but you can change up to your choice of nuts, seeds, herbs or all of these mixed together)
Here is where you can change up even more of your flavouring. Instead of grapes and nuts try: Lemon and Dill, Cooked Crumbled Bacon and Diced Tomatoes, 2 tablespoons Simply Organic Taco Seasoning, 2 tablespoons Pesto with chopped Pine Nuts, or anything you like. Get brave with it.
Mix everything in a bowl except the nuts. If you are serving it in a bowl: put the cheese mixture in a bowl and sprinkle with nuts, pair with a platter of vegetables, fruit, crackers or baguette pieces. If you are making this into a cheese ball: place a piece of plastic wrap on the table and sprinkle the nuts over the plastic wrap. Pour the cheese mixture into the centre of the nuts. Bring the edges of plastic wrap together using the nuts and wrap to form a ball. Let sit in the fridge for 2 hours to set up. Unwrap your cheese ball and place it on a nice plate. Surround with vegetables, fruit, crackers or baguette slices.
Cheese Pops: Let the cheese mixture set in the fridge for 1 hour. Pour nuts onto a plate, take out a spoon full of cheese mixture into your hand and form into a small ball. Roll the ball in the nuts. Poke either a pretzel stick, carrot stick or small bread stick into the mini cheese ball. Set it out on a serving tray and you have an instant plate free appetizer.