By Mardi Gras 2022. The full return. Parades are back. Beignets are back. The crawfish claws are — well, the crawfish claws finally died. Seven years. Seven years of cardboard and duct tape and the stubbornness of a boy who wouldn't let go. Rémy held the pieces and looked at them the way you look at a friend moving away. "They were good claws, Papa." "The best claws, cher." We had a moment of silence. Danielle found us in the garage, holding broken cardboard, and said, "I'm not making new ones." She made new ones. Of course she made new ones. Better ones. The cycle continues.
Made jambalaya and beignets and dirty rice. Ate king cake. Watched the parade. Rémy in his new claws — version 2.0, sturdier, with working hinges. Colette in gold and purple. Luc in the Saints jersey. The family in the street, in the noise, in the beads and the music and the Cajun country that has survived pandemics and hurricanes and the slow erosion of the coastline and is still standing, still cooking, still celebrating, still rolling the good times. Laissez les bons temps rouler. The good times rolled. They always roll.
After jambalaya and beignets and dirty rice and king cake and all of it — after Rémy’s new claws and Colette’s gold and purple and the whole beautiful noise of it — what I keep coming back to is how a celebration needs its small moments too, the food you pass around while the beads are still on the floor and everyone’s still laughing. These Celebration Cheese Balls are exactly that: simple, festive, made for a table full of people who just got back from something wonderful. Roll them in purple, gold, and green sprinkles if you want to really commit to the bit — Danielle absolutely did.
Celebration Cheese Balls
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 20 min (plus 1 hr chilling) | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans (for rolling)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (for rolling)
- Crackers and sliced vegetables, for serving
Instructions
- Mix the base. Beat the softened cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Add the shredded cheddar, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper and mix until fully combined.
- Shape the balls. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion between your palms into a compact ball, about the size of a golf ball.
- Prepare the coating. In a shallow bowl, combine the chopped pecans and parsley. Mix to distribute evenly.
- Coat each ball. Roll each cheese ball in the pecan-parsley mixture, pressing gently so the coating adheres on all sides.
- Chill. Arrange the coated cheese balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up before serving.
- Serve. Transfer to a serving platter alongside crackers and sliced vegetables. For a festive Mardi Gras presentation, arrange on a purple and gold platter and serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 4g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 230mg