Layered Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups Sarvecchio Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 cup loosely packed spinach, sliced into strips
- ½ cup loosely packed Italian parsley, chopped,
- 1 tablespoon set aside for garnish
- ⅓ cup loosely packed
- ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes sliced into strips, plus a few extras for garnishing the top
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and the Parmesan and mix until well blended. Remove half of the cheese mixture to a separate bowl and stir in the spinach. Line your cheese ball mold with plastic wrap or wax paper large enough to have pieces hanging over the edges of the mold. As you layer in ingredients for the cheese ball, remember that what you layer in first will be on top. You can decorate the top in any creative way you want, such as sprinkling in some parsley and pine nuts, topping with decoratively placed sun-dried tomatoes. Start with half of the cheese mixture, patting in an even layer with wet fingertips. Top with pine nuts, distributing evenly, topping with half of the spinach-cheese mixture, basil and parsley, remaining cheese mixture, sun-dried tomatoes, and then remaining spinach-cheese mixture. Cover the cheese ball with plastic wrap or wax paper and press down. Refrigerate for 24 hours if possible. When ready to serve, invert onto serving platter, carefully peel off the wrap and garnish with crackers, crudites, and fresh herbs.
