Bruschetta Cheese Ball
Appetizers
Ingredients
Cheese Ball
1 5.2 oz. Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese
1 8 oz. brick Cream Cheese
at room temperature* (See NOTE)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
with seeds and flesh removed**
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil),
chopped, rinsed, dried***
1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Panko Sun-Dried Tomato Coating
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons
sun-dried tomatoes, diced, rinsed, dried**
3 tablespoons basil leaves, chopped
Garnish
1 Roma tomato, chopped (more or less)
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chiffonade (more or less)
Dippers
1-2 baguettes sliced into 1/2 “ slices***
olive oil
crackers
Directions
Cheese Ball: Add all of the Cheese Ball ingredients to a large bowl and mix with a spatula until well combined. Drop mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap, cover tightly, and shape into a ball. Freeze for 1-2 hours or chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours up to 24 hours.
Panko- Sun-Dried Tomato Coating: While the cheese ball is chilling, prepare Coating by melting butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in panko and continue to stir constantly until panko is golden. Cool completely then stir in sun-dried tomatoes and basil.
Assemble: When ready to serve, remove cheese ball from freezer/fridge, roll in toasted panko mixture, pressing to adhere, until evenly coated. Garnish with fresh tomatoes and fresh basil. Serve with baguette slices and crackers (optional).
Baguette slices: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 1-2 large baking sheet with baguette slices. Brush top sides of slices with olive oil and flip all the slices over so the olive oil is SIDE DOWN on the baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges.
Notes
Total Time does not include chilling as this will vary upon individual.
*DO NOT microwave cream cheese to soften it or it will be too soft and hard to form into a ball.
**You just want the firm outer part of the tomato so when you cut your tomatoes, scoop out the inside flesh and seeds so all that remains is the firm part – we don’t want the extra moisture in our cheese ball. After you chop your tomatoes, pat them dry once more with a paper towel. ***Measure the sun-dried tomatoes, then rinse them and squeeze them dry before chopping.
****You can either prepare 1 baguette and supplement with crackers (or Garlic Parmesan Pretzel Crisps are amazing!!) or prepare 2 baguettes and not use crackers/pretzels.
*This Bruschetta Cheese Ball also makes an incredible spread for sandwiches.