Ingredients
Needed:
One
8 oz bag of shredded cheese (choose one: colby, mexican, 4 cheeses,
cheddar, etc)
One handful of fresh almonds or walnuts -or- ground almond/walnut
meal in prepared package
One 8 oz package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (non fat, low fat, or
full fat)
Wax Paper or Plastic Wrap
Items Needed:
Mixing bowl & spatula, blender or food processor (if grinding
fresh almonds into meal texture or pureeing pineapple).
Optional Seasonings
- choose only one:
__Add 2 tsp Lipton Onion Soup Mix (dry package mix) and 1/4 tsp Worcheshire
Sauce
__Add 2 tsp [finely] chopped fresh onion and/or green olive with pimento
__Add 2 Tbsp pineapple puree (grated canned or fresh pineapple) &
2 tsp of sugar or comparable sweetener *
__Add nothing! Cream cheese & grated cheese taste good together
without seasoning, too.
The above are seasoning ideas. Some folks prefer a sweet mellow
taste, others like spicy cheese or added onion flavor.
Directions:
Cream cheese should be allowed to set out for 15 minutes before use
- or 15 second warm-up in the microwave. Do not heat, cook or completely
melt cream cheese. Mix package of cream cheese together in the
mixing bowl with an optional seasoning choice [see above]. Fold in
the 12 oz bag of shredded cheese and mix until well blended. Pour
out onto wax paper or plastic wrap and mold into a ball. Set cheeseball
aside. Grind nuts (almonds or walnuts) to a meal texture in the blender
- or with rolling pin in a zip bag. (Or purchase prepared nut meal
at the grocery.) Pour nut meal onto a fresh piece of wax paper or
plastic. Remove cheeseball from wax paper or plastic and press and
roll it around in the meal until completely covered. Wrap cheese ball
in fresh plastic wrap and refridgerate.
Chill for 1-2 hours before serving.