Behold! The ultimate kitschy retro hors d'ouevre: the nutty cheese ball. Yes, you are in awe of its nutty, cheesy glory!
I am not exactly sure of the origins of the nutty cheese ball's ball-like shape, but I will put out my own hypothesis. Since it seems to have been born around the early 1970s, I am going to guess that it's meant to look like a shiny disco ball.
There are about a gazillion ways to "flavor" the cheese ball, and some of the recipes I came across included such luscious "mix-ins" as canned crushed pineapple and maraschino cherries, chipped beef, and of course, pimiento-stuffed green olives. They all sounded very...retro...but I think sticking to the basic recipe and adding your own, slightly updated, "mix-ins" like chopped nuts, other shredded cheeses like a smoky Gouda, and even chopped figs or dates, might be better. Just don't make the mistake of calling it a cheesy nut ball. That doesn't sound right.
Recipe? Who am I kidding? All you have to do is roll 1 8 oz. pkg softened cream cheese into a ball and roll it around in sliced almonds. I didn't buy any Ritz crackers to go with these for fear that I'd gobble up the whole box. (I love Ritz.)
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