25 Days of Christmas and Holiday Series: Day 14

Sister Lisa's Amazing Holiday Cheese Ball

At the beginning of the series I told you that I might break with tradition over here at The Homeless Finch and share a few tried and true family recipes.  Not that I think there is anything wrong with recipes.  I just made the decision to keep to the central theme of the blog and recipes for me are getting off track.  But in the spirit of the holiday, I am going to share with you the bestest holiday cheese ball eva! 

This recipe is an old family recipe because my sister is ancient and I really wanted to share it with you today.  When my mother passed away, I inherited her recipe box.  I was always put to work in the kitchen deemed the Suzy Homemaker of the bunch, so the honor fell to me to keep the family recipes. This particular recipe found it's way into our family traditions through my sister Lisa's Home Economics teacher back in high school. (For you younger readers...Yes, we took those sorts of classes back in the dark ages.) 

As legend tells...my mother didn't like this particular teacher and once uncharacteristically stormed into school to body slam verbally rip this woman's head off for giving my sister a C for the breakfast that her group presented to the class.  You see, the assignment was a traditional eggs, bacon and toast assignment.  My sister's group went all out and made Eggs Benedict.  Seems the teacher didn't appreciate the extra effort and docked them for not following directions.  Guess Martha Stewart would have failed.

Somewhere during that year, my sister was given this Amazing Holiday Cheese Ball recipe. My mother did not like giving the teacher credit for it, so from that moment on, it was known as Lisa's Cheese Ball.

Ingredients

2-8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened

3 Tablespoons of horseradish

3/4 Cups of Parmesan cheese

1-7 ounce bottle of stuffed olives, chopped

1 jar of chip beef, chopped very fine

Crackers

Mix the first four ingredients together.

Split in half and form into two balls. (This is kinda messy) Roll the balls in the finely chopped chip beef. 

Cover with wrap and chill until firm.  Keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator.   I prefer Pepperidge Farms Butterfly Crackers.  But you can use whatever cracker you prefer.  The best part? This recipe makes two cheese balls.  Now I have one for myself and one to take to my sister's house this Saturday a holiday party.

My mom use to say that Lisa's Cheese Ball was the perfect Christmas appetizer because the olives were green and pimentos red!! Funny gal that mom of mine.  Wish she was here today.  Would like to have her around to help me fight a few of my kid's battles.  Now THAT's a Christmas Wish worth receiving!!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for my
Day 15
of

25 Days of Christmas and Holiday Ideas and Gifts Series!!

-The End-

Eggs Benedict photo credit: www.Twopeasintheirpods.com

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