Every family has holiday foods that they like to make each year to celebrate. They aren’t always glamourous. They aren’t always fancy or beautiful. But they are traditions that you simply must have, or the holiday does not feel right.

One of our favourite holiday foods is a cheeseball. We snack on it from Christmas Eve to New Year’s. We eat it at home, and we bring it to gatherings with extended family. It is tasty on Ritz crackers, sliced baguette, in a sandwich, or snuck from the refrigerator in the middle of the night. It wouldn’t be a Christmas spread for us without our cheeseball.

Originally, the cheeseball recipe came from an ex-girlfriend of my uncle. He appropriated it from her after they split up, and every branch of our family has since adopted it. It is simple to make, and lasts for several weeks. We use old orange cheddar for the colour, though any mature cheddar will do. The green onions add a fresh punch of colour and flavour to the mixture. The recipe is so simple that anyone—even someone who rarely cooks—can mix it up!

Cheeseball

3 cups (3/4 lb) old cheddar cheese, shredded
250g package of cream cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onion
Dash of tobacco sauce
Dash of Worcestershire sauce (I use a very liberal dash of this)

1. Using an electric hand mixer, cream together cream cheese and sour cream. Add Worcestershire sauce and tobacco sauce. Cream until everything is smooth.
2. Fold in green onions.
3. Fold in shredded cheese.
4. Line a mould or plastic container with cling-film. Spoon in cheese ball mixture to fill mould. You can make two small cheeseballs if you prefer and divide the mixture between two containers.
5. Allow cheeseball to mellow in the fridge for 6-12 hours before serving.