Pesto Cheese Ball
I needed a recipe using pesto sauce for a recent program. I didn’t want to just toss it in pasta, so I decided to make a cheese ball. With the holidays coming up, it seemed like a good idea to make an appetizer. It came out really well. I used homemade pesto, made from frozen basil and oil.
This recipe is great when you want something that is quick to make. It tastes great, too.
Pesto Cheese Ball
8 oz. softened cream cheese
½ c. prepared pesto- recipe follows
½ c. chopped nuts, sunflower seeds or pine nuts
Combine cream cheese with pesto, stirring until well mixed. Form mixture into a ball shape and rolls in the nuts or seeds. Chill until ready to serve. Serve with crackers, veggies or pita bread.
Pesto Sauce
1 c. tightly packed basil leaves
1/4 c. olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic
Salt to taste
1/2 c. pine nuts, sunflower seeds or walnuts*
1 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Combine all ingredients, except the cheese, in a blender and mix until smooth. Stir in the cheese and toss over hot, cooked pasta or use as a sauce on meat and poultry. Sauce will keep a few days in the fridge and makes about 1 1/2 cups, enough for 1 lb. of cooked pasta. Pesto can also be frozen. *since I was adding nuts to the outside of my cheese ball, I didn’t add the nuts to my pesto sauce this time. I am sure it would have worked even if I had added the nuts.
