Happy Hour recipes made in a jiffy. Why you would buy a packages cheese ball at the store is beyond me. They usually have an odd  “fake” taste and for goodness sake they are NOT difficult to make. A homemade cheese ball is delicious! Truffles take everything to a new level. Good quality truffle cheese can be difficult to find and very pricey.  So here’s an idea to impress your guest and re- purpose the remnants of cheese bin in your fridge.

Take approximately 4-6 oz of your favorite cheese. Colby/jack, sharp cheddar, gouda, swiss. I usually have a little of each in the bottom of my cheese bin. Simply grate them up. ( the shredding disc on the food processor makes this a snap) Mix in 1/2 block ( 4 oz) of cream cheese. Stir in a teaspoon or two of white truffle oil  or black truffle oil ( start off with the smaller amount. Depending on the cheeses you are using `  adjust to your taste) A wonderful option is to substitute a  teaspoon of Truffle sauce. It has REAL truffle in it and will give you nice flecks of truffle in your cheeseball. ( see Truffle Cheese Spread  for crudités recipe)

If you ae feeling really adventurous add a clove or two of roasted garlic. See Recipe .

Let chill in fridge for a few minutes if overly soft, then roll into ball. Alternatively, serve in an attractive bowl as a spread- the addition of some chopped roasted red peppers makes for an over the top ‘pimento cheese”.

Roll in chopped nuts if desired ( save a few truffled nuts from our Truffle treats recipe and chop and then roll cheese ball )

Serve on an interesting plate with your favorite crackers. Sit back and listen to your friends rave about your cheese ball! This is also delicious broiled on cocktail toasts for a throw back to the early 60’s and 70’s entertaining.