by Amanda Coers

Created on: November 14, 2009   Last Updated: November 17, 2009

During years past, when the women of my family were planning the Thanksgiving and Christmas meals and everyone was getting dish assignments, I was given cheeseball duty because it's the easiest dish to make. Back in the day I was not the world's greatest cook. Far from it! So, every holiday season during my late teens and early 20's I whipped up our family cheeseball.

My Nanny (grandmother) always highly praised my oh-so-delicious cheeseball. Bless her!

Now that I've FINALLY progressed beyond the cheeseball stage, I was very proud last year to bestow the honor upon my youngest daughter, Vivian. At age eight she was already at the cheeseball stage, far advanced over her mother. My oldest daughter was already moved to meringue duty.

Seeing the cheeseball every Thanksgiving and Christmas reminds me of times spent sitting at the kitchen table, mixing the soft cheeses and watching the pros take care of the rest. And now, when I am working as the pro, I smile when I see my youngest daughter working the cheeseball duty.

The recipe is so simple, please feel free to mix up a cheeseball for your family this holiday season!

The Family Cheeseball

Ingredients:

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

1 jar Old English Cheese

Worchestershire Sauce

Garlic Salt

Chopped Pecans

Parsley Flakes

Mix the Old English and cream cheese together with a few dashes of Worchestershire sauce and garlic salt in a large mixing bowl. I find this is most easily done with clean hands. Just get in there and mix those cheeses. After mixing completely, set the bowl in the fridge to cool and allow the cheeses to firm. After at least an hour, spread parsley flakes and chopped pecans onto a large plate. Take out your bowl of cheeses. Wash your hands again. Reach in there and grab that mess of mixed up cheese and get it all in your hands. Ball it all up and smooth the outside. Roll your gigantic ball of tasty goodness around on the plate, coating it with parsley and pecans.

Set the cheeseball onto a pretty plate and put it back into the fridge for at least another hour to firm.

Best served with Ritz crackers.

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