Name: Port Wine-Blue Cheese Ball
Yield: Serves 15 to 20
Ingredients: 1 cup crumbled blue cheese; 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese; 8 ounces cream cheese, softened; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon port wine; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped fine

Why This Recipe Works

Most supermarket cheese balls prove difficult to spread, and their unnatural flavor and orange hue make us wonder whether they contain any real cheese at all. We wanted a simple homemade recipe for cheese balls we’d be happy to serve as a holiday hors d’oeuvre. To achieve this, we used equal parts semisoft cheese and cream cheese to produce a firm yet spreadable consistency, and added a bit of mayonnaise to give our cheese balls a silky texture. We also used small amounts of assertive ingredients like port wine and garlic to enhance our Port Wine-Blue Cheese Ball recipe’s flavor without compromising the texture.

Instructions

Process all of the ingredients (except the nuts) in a food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 1 minute. Transfer the cheese mixture to the center of a large sheet of plastic wrap.

Holding the corners of the wrap in one hand, twist the cheese with your other hand to seal the wrap and shape the cheese into a rough ball (mixture will be somewhat loose). Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. (The cheese ball can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.) Once the cheese ball is firm, reshape it as necessary into a smooth sphere. Unwrap the cheese ball and roll it in nuts. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.