"national cheeseball day" news and stories

Happy National Cheeseball Day!

For having the potential of being a highbrow gourmet treat, cheeseballs have long been the subject of some seriously irrelevant humor, perhaps best exemplified by Alec Baldwin peddling his holiday balls as Pete Schweddy on Saturday Night Live. But for those that can overlook its comedic potential for some culinary clout, the crusted cheese orb is a holiday favorite.

Count on Giada De Laurentiis for a dainty Herb-Coasted Goat Cheese, or if you're feeling more adventurous, opt for Amy Sedaris' Lil' Smoky Cheeseball. This Sausage-Cheeseball recipe from Epicurious combines lean sausage, Bisquick and cheddar into baked mounds for an easy nibble, or this Teriyaki Cheeseball recipe spices cream cheese with soy sauce and ginger, rolling it in a sesame-seed crust. And of course if you're feeling particularly nutty, there's always the Cheese Ball Goblin recipe courtesy of (who else?) Paula Deen available for the amusement of your guests.

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Ah, the cheeseball. I always associate them with Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm the guy in charge of cheese and dips and crackers on those holidays, and that seems to be the only time I eat cheeseballs. I never liked them as a kid, but I love them now.

Today is National Cheeseball Day. (Do you spell cheeseball as one word or two? I'm going with one.) Here's a recipe for Party Cheeseballs from CD Kitchen, and here's one for a Cheeseball from AllRecipes.com.

And let's not forget the recipe for a 'Lil Smoky Cheeseball from Amy Sedaris! That's a pic of it above.