Polly's Yummy Cheese Ball

Last year for Thanksgiving Dinner  my sister-in-law was in charge of the appetizers.  I believe appetizers are the most important part of the meal.   They get you started.  If not, they give some breathing time when you only have pie and side dishes to serve.   Case in point......last year's turkey brining incident.  I still have nightmares about the 20 pound turkey and the 5 gallons of brining liquid erupting across the kitchen.  The cell phone went swimming in kosher salt & water.

*** Never  EVER substitute an "oven roasting bag" for a brining bag.  It wasn't  one of my shining moments.

This cheese ball literally change my life.   I like to think that it saved Thanksgiving.  This cheese ball solves the problem of cracked crackers.  Is there anyone other than me who finds cheese balls delicious. and hates them because they are too hard to cut into???  This one is an entertaining Miracle!!!  Try this one and I promise you that it will bring harmony to the buffet. 

Polly's Yummy Soft Cheese Ball 

8 oz. softened regular cream cheese

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar

1pkg. sliced almonds (toasted)

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (NOT THE DIP MIX)

Keebler Toasted Compliments Wheat Crackers

Make dressing with HALF MAYO and HALF MILK that it calls for.

Mix in cream cheese, then cheddar.  Mold onto plate.  I just plopped it into a pretty bowl!

Toast almonds, cool, then cover the dip right before serving.

(The almonds get mushy if they sit in the fridge with the dip too long)

Enjoy!

I most likely should have staged this picture better and maybe added a layer of crackers or pretzel chips.
Don't you just love that orange platter?  Me. too.

New Pizza Dough!!!

I want to thank my BFF for this recipe. She gave me this recipe.  At least, I choose to think of her as giving it to me.  I found it on page 109 inside her original cookbook and honestly, she doesn't know that we are BFF's yet.  She will someday.  Her name is Ree Drummond.    So....  I can't claim the fame.  I just made the dough.   I did put together this recipe card though!  Are you impressed?  I didn't think so.....Just please be kind and let me think you are impressed.

This was really yummy & amazingly easy!  Enjoy it!  If you want to get all kinds of crazy...make some of my homemade pizza sauce and shred your own cheese.   We like to mixing up the cheeses to get a more gourmet pizza flavor.

It also makes a pretty good calzone too!

This is her original book.