This cheese ball wins the potluck every time
Now, I’m not saying potlucks are competitions, but I’ve never lost at one with this tasty recipe.
It’s quick, delicious and a ball to make — to start, just take grated cheddar cheese, cream cheese, chopped jalapeno and green onion and roll it all up. Simple! The best part? It only takes 20 minutes to prep (refrigeration aside). The key is to make it in advance. If you have a couple of potluck engagements on the weekend, make one cheese ball for each. On the day of the party, all you have to do is let it reach room temperature for 15 minutes, coat with toasted pecans, garnish with juicy pomegranate seeds, fresh cilantro and fried shallots and enjoy. Talk about a killer app!
Pecan and Jalapeno Cheese Ball
Ricardo Tested Cheese Ball 8 oz (225 g) sharp cheddar cheese, grated 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, at room temperature 1 tbsp seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper 2 tsp chopped green onion Topping 1 shallot, peeled and cut into thin slices 2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour 1/3 cup (40 g) toasted pecans, finely chopped 1/4 cup (45 g) pomegranate seeds 3 tbsp (5 g) chopped fresh cilantro Crackers or toasted bread slices Salt and pepper Canola oil, for frying Cheese Ball In a food processor, purée cheeses until smooth. Add pepper and green onion, pulsing a few seconds at a time. Transfer cheese mixture to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Topping In a small saucepan, heat about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil to approximately 350 F (180 C).
Line a plate with paper towels. Set aside.
Dredge shallots in flour and shake to remove any excess. Fry shallots until crisp and lightly golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. The shallots can be cooked two to three days in advance and kept at room temperature in an airtight container.
Place pecans on a plate. With your hands, shape cheese mixture into a large ball and coat it with pecans. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Place cheese ball in the centre of a small plate. Let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. When ready to serve, garnish with pomegranate seeds, cilantro and fried shallots.
Serve with crackers or toasted bread slices.
Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer.