Yesterday I took a Martha Project break to celebrate Jeff’s birthday. He really wanted a big, juicy steak with baked potatoes for dinner. He also craved a root beer float for dessert. Hey, the birthday boy gets to choose his dinner! Tonight, keeping with the celebratory mood, I made a party favorite with Martha’s Pecan Cheese Balls from page 230 of the Midwest.
Before I do a blog post, I always try to look up some history and/or fun facts about the dish I’m making. This has made me an expert on all sorts of strange and useless food trivia. Did you know that April 17th is National Cheese Ball Day? No, neither did I! There are so many fun and quirky food holidays that I never knew about. I think there should be paid days off to celebrate them, don’t you?
Cheese balls are great for any holiday celebration or even for a small cocktail party. Don’t spend your hard earned money buying them from specialty stores since making your own is so easy and tastes even better. These cheese balls are delicious, with just a touch of tang from the dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. The crunchy pecans provide the perfect textural contrast to the creamy cheese.
Martha gives several variations that you can try so you can have a different cheese ball for every occasion or serve them all at one party to satisfy different tastes. Since Jeff and I are a party of two this evening, I made a smaller version and instead of crackers I cut some bread rounds and toasted them in a pan with some butter. But if you’re having a party, make sure to serve them with a variety of crackers and they’re sure to be a hit!
