Tasty Tuesday-Cheese Ball!!!

Every once and a while I like to make a dinner of appetizers for my husband and myself.  I'm partial to retro tinged classics like shrimp cocktail, sweet and sour meat balls, and of course cheese balls.  Then I can pretend our home is the setting for a glamorous vintage cocktail party.

 A few weeks ago I made a cheese ball so deliciously indulgent that after a few crackers worth I tossed it to prevent any further consumption, but it was totally worth it.

Delicious Cheese Ball

In fact it was so tasty that it got me thinking about a cheese ball for dogs.  I mean why should people have the fun.  If I ever do have a real cocktail party with guests and everything, unlikely, wouldn't it be fun to have appetizers for the dogs as well?  I think so.   Luckily my dogs tolerate dairy well and they all love cheese so my primary tax was defatting and simplifying the recipe.  I can't say the end result is healthy but its not terrible and the dogs sure loved them.

Canine Cheese Balls

Everyone loved the cheese balls even my big old guy Norbert who looks rather stoic in this picture.

 Now for the recipes, of course you can change up a cheese ball any which WAY you like by using different cheeses and seasonings.

Cheese Balls for Dogs

• 8 oz fat free cream cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded fat free cheddar 
• 5 baby carrots, diced

Stir the above ingredients in a bowl and form into balls with your hands.  Voila! cheese ball.

Amy Sedaris's Lil' Smokey Cheese Ball

Definitely half this, I should have.

2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese
16 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 tablespoons milk
2 1/2 teaspoons steak sauce
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Bring all ingredients to room temperature.
Beat the Gouda, cream cheese, butter, milk and steak sauce together in a bowl until combined.
Chill overnight.
Roll the mixture into a ball.
Roll the ball in the chopped nuts.
Serve at room temperature with ritz or club crackers

In the end I'd really much rather spend an evening at home with my dogs then at any silly cocktail party!