Shrimp Cheeseball

Yesterday we celebrated my sister's upcoming birthday with a pool party and bbq at my parent's house. A great time was had by all; good friends, good fun and good food were all in attendance! And we even got lucky with an unusually cool, nice day during the Arizona summer!

Laura asked me to plan some food for the party, which meant I got to try out a bunch of new recipes that I will be posting over the next week or so. But since it was Laura's celebration, I thought I would post her favorite one first. She told me that this reminded her of the shrimp canapes that our mom used to make growing up, and I think it is beacause they both use one of those little jars of Kraft Old English Cheese. You just can't go wrong with Old English cheese, especially when it is mixed with two other kinds of cheese! This was a big hit with everyone else at the party as well, although, I think next time I make it, I would use two cans of shrimp, because they seemed to be few and far between!

Shrimp Cheeseball

adapted from Gather Round Our Table

2 (8 oz. each) pkgs. cream cheese (I used light)
1 (5 oz.) jar Kraft Old English cheese
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can tiny shrimp, drained (use 2 cans if you like!)
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 - 1 c. pecans, coarsley chopped or crushed

Soften cream cheese, either by setting out an hour before preparation, or by defrosting in microwave until soft (remove foil wrapping first!). Add the rest of the ingredients, except for pecans, and mix thoroughly. Chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes until the mixture firms up slightly. Divide mixture into 2 or 3 balls and wrap each individually in saran wrap. Chill until serving.

When ready to serve, roll blls in chopped nuts and place on platter. Serve with crackers (I used Wheat Thins and Ritz).

Yummy Yummy! I had an extra cheeseball leftover that I sent home with the birthday girl!