Today I decided to try to invent a healthier alternative to a cheeseball, in honor of the return of football season and all the delicious tailgating food that comes along with it.
Your classic cheeseball appetizer consists of a couple blocks of cream cheese and some shredded cheddar, along with seasonings,usually worchestershire sauce and sometimes the lovable chemistry-experiment ranch seasoning packets. See here. Cream cheese is spreadable evil, by the way. It is a high fat food that has very little in the way of useful nutrients, unlike many other dairy products.
My version turned out to be a cheese spread, which was delicious but did not hold it's shape very well, sadly. In the place of part of the cream cheese, I used part-skim ricotta which has roughly half the calories of full-fat cream cheese and twice the protein (don't forget, protein is the nutrient that is best at helping you feel full!). I also found a good reduced fat cheddar to shred (gotta have the sharp kind for the extra flavor) and used green onion and garlic for some natural flavor. Here's what I came up with:
Terri's tailgate cheese spread
8 oz cream cheese (regular or 1/3 less fat)
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta
1 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
Looking for a healthful cracker to serve with this spread? Try these, these, or these, which are all higher in fiber (read: whole grain), and lower in fat by about half when compared to a typical cracker like Ritz.
So, could you recommend a healthful beer full of antioxidants, calorie-free, and gives a nice buzz? I need to be ready to tailgate and look hot in my Daisy Dukes.
ReplyDeleteSorry, but calorie-free and giving a nice buzz can never co-exist :(
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