The word “cheese ball” describes the Santa sweater your aunt Janice wears every Christmas without irony in more ways than one. Actually, cheese balls are back in style, especially around the holidays and on April 17, which is National Cheese Ball Day.
Regardless of the favored or selected style, National Cheeseball Day honors these peculiar little culinary stalwarts and invites everyone to learn more about their origins and development.
National Cheeseball Day History
The history of National Cheeseball Day begins at a peculiar moment in time, when the first cheese ball arrived at the White House—possibly one of the most unlikely places.
Elisha Brown Jr., a farmer, wanted to give Thomas Jefferson, the president of the United States at the time, a peculiar gift in the early 1800s. Because of this ambition, an incredibly large ball of cheese ended up on the White House lawn.
After that, the cheese ball seems to have vanished into culinary obscurity for close to 150 years. Then it was fortunate to make a comeback in 1944 in Virginia Safford’s novel Food of My Friends. The Cheese Ball was one of the recipes in this book, and not long after that, it became a common dish.
Cheeseballs can be created from practically any type of cheese and covered in just about everything you can think of. Maybe there isn’t even a “nearly” to be expressed in this situation. Cheese balls covered in crushed Oreo cookies, sparkling confetti, sliced onions, peppers, and garlic have been prepared by certain persons.
Read more: World Health Day
Why Celebrate National Cheeseball Day?
The base of the majority of cheeseballs is softened cream cheese. Then you may add whatever takes your fancy—more cheese is always a hit with the crowd. You next roll the ball in another ingredient, such as chopped herbs or nuts, and form it into a ball (if you ever used Play-Doh as a kid, you get this). There are lots of recipes available if you’re still uneasy.
Retro foods and beverages are trendy. Cheese balls are a delicious relic from a simpler era, before meat and cheese platters evolved into “charcuterie,” and before artisanal napkins and free-range forks adorned the place settings of every locally produced restaurant in the area.
A cheese ball can be made with pretty much any of your favorite dip components, making them incredibly adaptable and a fantastic “what will I bring to this potluck, let me empty out my fridge” party option. Do you desire frou-frou? Cheese balls can be shaped into pinecones. also pineapples. or ice cubes. But, any cheese ball is fancy by definition, partly because it isn’t a plastic tray of tasteless, cubed cheddar and dreadful old Swiss.
How to Celebrate National Cheeseball Day?
Just indulging in the delectable pleasure that is the cheeseball is the finest way to commemorate National Cheeseball Day. Choose your preferred dipping tool, such as crackers, bread, or even little pieces of meat, and get creative with a cheese ball.
Make a unique, delicious cheeseball dish at home after doing some study to serve to friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers. Remember, small gatherings like this are always well-attended at work. Just think of all the many kinds of cheese balls that could be discovered then!
Cream cheese, cheddar cheese, brie, sour cream, garlic powder, and other seasonings are components of a classic cheese ball appetizer. Some individuals like to use hot pepper sauce to make a hotter version of the dish. Others prefer to add a little Worcester sauce. Serve wontons together with the Thai Sweet Chili Sauce.
Cheeseballs must be the primary dish, but that doesn’t mean they have to be monotonous. Other alternatives for cheeseballs include those with an Asian theme, a Pepper Jack flavor, a Hawaiian flavor, a Cranberry Pecan flavor, and even dessert cheeseballs created with Oreo cookies!