Its another Tasty Tuesday! And today’s recipe is a humdinger! Chuck Wagon Cheese Ball! My mother-in-law introduced me to this one while Troy and I were dating, and I couldn’t get over just how fresh and amazing this cheese ball tasted! I just kept thinking, “Really? I didn’t know cheese ball could be this good!” Its perfect for tailgating and holiday parties and “Sunday Afternoon Surprise ‘Em with Amazing Treats”. Just like Paris, Cheese Ball is always a good idea!

My dear friend Maribeth Schmidt did an amazing job on the photographs for this post! She is such a gifted photographer and really an artist when it comes to photographing food! Thank you, Maribeth! If you would like to see her work, you can find her at Maribeth Schmidt Photography.

So let’s begin!

Ingredients:

• 1 8oz bar of cream cheese
• 1/3 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped onion (could be green or yellow onion)
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped celery
• 2 pks Buddig Beef finely chopped, divided (Meat Free option, use chopped pecans)
• Assorted crackers and veggies to serve it with
• Wax paper (to help handle and shape the cheese ball)

Directions:

In large bowl, cream the sour cream and cream cheese together. Add in the onion, green pepper, and celery, and 1/2 of the chopped beef (reserving the other half to coat the cheese ball) Combine with spoon.

Take your wax paper and form the cheeseball like packing a snowball.

With some of the reserve chopped beef in a bowl, and using the wax paper, dip the cheeseball into the chopped beef to form a coating. (Note you could do this with chopped pecans as well if you prefer)

Carefully dip it into the chopped beef.

Now you need to coat the remaining portions, so you kind of work your way around… I sometimes use a plate with additional chopped beef to get the remaining side. Its not an exact science. Its whatever works for you.

This cheese ball is loaded with so many chopped veggies its pretty bulky. I use every bit of the remaining beef to try and throughly coat it.

Now its time to place this beautiful cheeseball on a platter and surround her with some crackers! I’m partial to Ritz (remember Andy Griffith saying “everything tastes better when its sitting on a Ritz”?

As a variation, you could also add in a cup of shredded cheddar and a few shakes of worcestershire sauce.

You can serve it up on celery. Doesn’t that look yummy? I’ll take one of those…

Or in other suitable veggies!  What a happy job for these little peppers! This is a milder recipe so it should be one that appeals to more finicky appetites.

Some other ideas to shake it up, you could add in a small can of well drained crushed pineapple (omit the beef and use pecans instead) You could also use bacon instead of the beef. And you could mix in a tsp of seasoning salt.

There is something so cheerful about a toasty warm house as the weather gets cold, and preparing tasty snacks like this one sometimes for no other occasion than simply saying “I love you!”. Food is such a lovely thing to draw us together.

I’ve often thought I am so glad we are created in such a way that we need to stop once in awhile and refuel. Its a little respite in the day and it creates a community experience when hungry tummies gather around the table! (Or the football game!) Smiles and laughter and that wonderful feeling of nourishment in combination with friends and family. For many, this is the best part of the day, as it is food for the soul as much as food for the tummy! Thoughts of the comforting time around the table are often what helps encourage and sustain us through difficult days. That is pretty important stuff! That is the gold in life! You have the power and the gift to create those moments for people you love! That’s a pretty worthy calling! Whether your table is set for ten or one and everything in between, all people including You are precious and a little extra warmth and special treats at the table is a perfect way to say “I love you”.  And besides, this is really good cheese ball!

I think of you all so often, and while we may be far apart, I enjoy sharing these recipes with you as I would if we were right here together having some chuck wagon cheese ball and crackers! These are golden moments for me, and they make me smile thinking of spending this little time together! I hope your chuck wagon cheese ball is a smashing success!

Next Tuesday is a special day for me, I will be sharing a very special blog post as part of a campaign to unite people across the generations to come together. Its called “Bridging the Gap”, and so next Tuesday I will not be posting a recipe for the tummy, but I will be sharing something really fun and special. I will be introducing you to someone simply amazing, my “Bridging the Gap” partner! That happens next Tuesday!

I will be back Friday for another Fashion Friday!

I love you guys!

Love Always,

Amy

“Good food is all the sweeter when shared with good friends.”  Author Unknown