Southern Made Cheese Ball

Serves approximately 45 (2 cheese balls of 3 cups each)

Note: The flavor of this cheese ball is best after it blends for a few hours or overnight. It also freezes well, which is important since the quantity is so large.

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (I use 2 bars Neufchatel cheese and 1 cream cheese)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon low-salt Creole-style seasoning
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon creamy salad dressing, e.g. Miracle Whip
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or sliced green onions to coat finished cheese ball

1. In a large bowl, mix by hand cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, green onions, chili powder, Creole-style seasoning, Cheddar cheese, and creamy salad dressing.

2. Form the mixture into one or more balls. Chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.

Note: I use the Neufchatel cheese because it has 1/3 the fat of cream cheese without the "fat free" texture. You can find it in bar form, right next to the cream cheese. Also, if you are planning to freeze your cheese ball, use the pecans instead of green onions to coat it. One last note--if your cheese ball turns out too salty, try a low-salt Creole seasoning next time.

Recipe from allrecipes.com