
Not too long ago, I saw a headline on the website of a high-end food magazine about cheese balls making a comeback. A comeback? Where did cheese balls ever go? I mean, you can’t get much better in the snack department than a good old fashioned cheese ball. Creamy cheese with a crunchy coating that you can spread on crackers? Yes please. And there are endless, endless variations. Heck, I even make a muffaletta version. So with some kind of big sporting event on the horizon, I whipped up a perfect game watching cheese ball, made with beer and mustard and coated in pretzels. It’s is sharp and tangy and smoky and creamy – the best attributes of a good cheese ball. People dig in, they always do for a cheese ball, but the look of delighted surprise with this version, will please you inordinately.
Naturally smoked cheddar cheese is readily available on the cheese counter now, and it really sets this cheese ball apart. You could use a regular extra sharp cheddar and a tad more smoked paprika if you choose, but really do try the smoked cheese. Cream cheese adds body and makes this easier to shape and spread, but butter adds a delicious creaminess that is the secret weapon of this cheese ball. Crushed pretzels instead of the traditional nuts add that textural crunch contrast, but go so well with the beer. I use a lighter beer like a lager or pale ale, darker beers are too heavy, but use what you drink (because you have most of a can to finish). For game watching, I sometimes use the extra beer to braise some sausages like brats with onions, either for sandwiches or cut into chunks for a snack. I love the idea of the cheese ball, but you can also serve this in a bowl as a spread and could even add a bit more beer if you like. I serve this with slices of soft pretzel, either from soft pretzel sticks or sliced pretzel slider buns, but a hearty whole wheat cracker works as well. If you are crafty, you could mold this into a football shape and use pretzel sticks to make the stitching.
Ingredients
5 ounces pretzel sticks
8 ounces smoked cheddar cheese
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼- ½ cup beer
Directions
- Put the pretzels in the bowl of a food processor with the regular blade and pulse to fine crumbs. Dump then on a plate and set aside. Wipe out the processor bowl.
- Put the grating blade on the processor and grate the cheese. Switch back to the regular blade and add the cream cheese, butter, mustard, Worcestershire, paprika, mustard powder, salt and pepper. Blend to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Drizzle in the beer with the motor running, scraping the bowl as needed, until you have a thick, smooth mixture that can be shaped into a ball. Stretch a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and scoop the cheese mixture onto it, Use your hands to roughly shape it into a ball, then tightly wrap it in the plastic, further shaping into a ball. Refrigerate the wrapped cheese ball for at least an hour, until nice and firm, the roll it in the crushed pretzels. Wrap it in a fresh piece of plastic and refrigerate for another hour, but up to two days is fine. Serve with hearty crackers or sliced pretzel bread.
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