My mom often bought house-label food items to keep on budget, as the quality was close enough. One item she wouldn’t skimp on was Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese, explaining other brands were “waxy.” I never understood that, different ones had about the same mouth feel to me, once I started buying my own groceries after college.
I’ve never bought cream cheese often though. There’s little healthy about it, relatively minimal protein and high fat. It’s an occasional treat.
In recent years, corporations have begun marketing non-dairy cream cheese, including Kraft Philadelphia. All the brands are decent. These include Walmart’s Better Goods line, Violife and the grandparent vegan cheese Tofutti. When the store has it, I buy Philadelphia to honor Mom’s memory. Dairy or non-dairy, all have scant nutritional value, so still a party table item.
Recently, a friend inviting us to a dinner party asked for me to bring a cheese ball, again. Must’ve been thinking of someone else as that’s not something I’ve ever made. Rising to the challenge and not wanting to disappoint, I researched and found that online nondairy cheese ball recipes are unexpectly similar. Here’s my savory take.
- 1 tub or block of vegan cream cheese, 7-8 oz. depending on brand, leave cold
- 1 cup, about 4 oz., loosely packed, shredded vegan cheddar cheese
- 12-15 green or kalamata olives, roughly chopped, making about 1/2 cup
- 2-3 green onions, chopped finely, making about 1/4 cup
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1-2 teaspoons A1 or similar (vegan) steak sauce or vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
- 1-2 teaspoons dried herbs — Italian herb blend OR dried dill weed)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or granules
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or MSG
- 1/2 cup nuts, any kind, raw or roasted, salted or not, chopped not too finely
- In a medium mixing bowl, empty the cream cheese tub (or unwrap the block) and mash for 1-2 minutes with a soft silicone mixing spatula until slightly softened.
- To bowl add all ingredients except nuts, and with the spatula mix gently a couple of minutes until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired but note that flavors will cohere and intensify a bit after the ball has rested.
- Spread a 12-inch square piece of plastic wrap on counter or tabletop. Scoop the mix to the center of the plastic, gather the corners of the plastic and mold with hands into a ball. It’ll be a little smaller than a softball. Smooth the plastic and refrigerate the ball at least 2 hours to firm up and marry the flavors.
- Spread the chopped nuts on a small plate. Unwrap the chilled ball and gently roll it in the nuts so they’re partially embedded. Place the ball on a small serving dish or shallow bowl along with a butter knife. Serve with crackers, vegetable crudites and so forth.
Notes
- Nearly everything in the recipe can be swapped out or dropped. Don’t like olives? Skip them. Forgot to buy green onions — don’t worry about them. The nuts add texture and flavor, but they’re not needed. See?
- Spices can vary. For example, replace the Italian blend or dill with Southwestern: 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/2 teaspoon mild chili powder. Another option would be 1 teaspoon Italian blend plus 1/2 to 1 teaspoon smoked paprika.
- Instead of a ball, you could spoon the mix into a small serving bowl, let rest on the counter an hour then serve soft and room temp as chip dip.
