I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t know a damn thing about football.
To be completely (embarrassingly) honest, I don’t even fully comprehend the rules of American football (or Canadian football, for that matter- a very similar but arbitrarily different beast).
I do, however, regularly watch the Superbowl. Why, you ask?
The food. Of course.
Superbowl, Grey Cup, Stanley Cup, World Series… I could give a fig about the game,* but the foooooood! The food. Wings, dips, pizza, chips, meatballs… it’s a glorious spread of indulgence that hits me right in the Fat Tooth. I love it.
I would watch a multi-day cricket match if it meant bottomless wings. I would watch curling. I would watch televised poker. The World Grass-Growing Championships.
* Okay, fine, I do care about the Stanley Cup, but only if my team is in the finals. I am Canadian, after all.
Is this classic Superbowl fare? Sort of. I mean, it is basically a cheeseball. And a dip. Or a spread. It’s a cheesy, punchy, Mexi-flavour-ish yum-bomb.
Dress it up, dress it down. In my experience, this cheese can be presented on New Years Eve- little-black-dress-ready, served with bubbles and heels, or dressed down for Superbowl Sunday- sweats, socks and beers.
Canapé. Munchie. It’s perfect both ways.
Give me an occasion, I’ll make it. Heck, it’s a Wednesday- that’s occasion enough for me.
Spread it on toast. Roll it into cheeseballs (or one big cheeseball!). Use it as a dip.Stir it into scrambled eggs. Revel in the spicy, herby, cheesy, salty, citrusy happy place that is this combo.
I like to use a lot of jalapeño slices. Like, a lot. I love spicy. I have, however, adapted this recipe for the average palette- add more spice if you like a good kick, keep it middle-ground for a crowd.
Spicy and sour pickled jalapeño. Green, herbaceous cilantro. Bright, citrusy lime zest, which picks up the acidic tones in the creamy goat cheese. Salty asiago. A hum of garlic. I mean… how sexy can I make a cheese spread/ball/dip? Very sexy.
| Mean Green Incredible Spreadable (Dippable, Cheeseball-able) Goat Cheese | Print |
- ⅓ cup pickled jalapeño slices*
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and stems (~1 bunch)
- 1 small clove garlic
- ⅓ cup jarred artichoke hearts, lightly packed
- 1 lime, zest
- ⅓ cup Asiago, grated
- 300g soft goat cheese (chevre)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- .
- Quick Pickled Jalapeños:
- 8 fresh Jalapeño peppers
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup white or cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- Add jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, artichoke hearts and lime zest to a food processor and blend on high until it forms a pesto spread consistency, scraping down the sides as needed. Add salt and pepper to taste and pulse to combine. Add Asiago and goat cheese and pulse a few times to combine.
- To use as a spread, simply store this in the fridge and use as needed. Excellent on toast, in sandwiches or added in to scrambled eggs.
- To use this as a dip, bring it to room temperature and spoon into a small serving dish. Serve with dipping veggies or crackers.
- To use this as a cheeseball refrigerate spread for at least 4 hours or overnight. Roll entire cheese mixture into a ball shape, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one more hour, then roll in crushed tortilla chips or sesame seeds and serve alongside crackers.
- For multiple small cheeseball bites, refrigerate spread for at least 4 hours or overnight then, using clean, slightly wet hands, roll the cheese mix into small balls roughly 1 inch in diameter and serve them in a dish drizzled with a bit of olive oil (to prevent sticking) speared with toothpicks or pretzel sticks.
- Quick Pickled Jalapeños: Slice jalapeños into ¼ inch rounds (leaving seeds in). Blanch in boiling water for 10 seconds then rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking. In a small saucepan, combine ¾ cup water ¾ cup white or cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon kosher salt, heating through until salt and sugar have dissolved. Place blanched jalapeños in a clean container and pour vinegar brine overtop. Cover and refrigerate until needed (at least one hour).
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