Homemade Christmas Super Bowl Cheese Snacks

Do you have an avid football fan on your list? Why not give a gift of that can be used as a treat for the Super Bowl, such as cheese balls and cheese spreads? A nice basket with a box or two of crackers and a cheese spread can be kept on hand for the unexpected visitors that drop in over the holidays or for that Super Bowl Party.

Cheddar Beer Cheese:

Grate 8 C of sharp or extra sharp Cheddar cheese and put it in a blender with 4 tsp of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp each of hot Tabasco sauce, dry mustard, and seasoning salt, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp of black pepper, and 2/3 C of beer (let it go flat). Blend the ingredients thoroughly and pack in individual containers.

Reuben Sandwich Cheese Gift:

Mix 2- 8oz pkgs of cream cheese and 1/2 C of shrimp cocktail sauce until smooth. Add 1/2 lb of corned beef that is finely chopped (You can use the packages of the thin sliced beef.), 1 1/2 C of sauerkraut, and 2 cups of shredded (grated) Swiss cheese. Mix it thoroughly and pack in individual containers.

Make a Gift Basket:

Depending on how fancy you choose to get, you can make baskets that you can vary, according to the size of gift that you want to send. Package with snack crackers, popcorn snacks, and other tidbits and even include a few beers and mugs for those to receive a large gift. Give just the cheese spread for others. You can also add a jar of pickled bologna or Parmesan crackers as another treat.

Pickled Bologna:

Buy 3 1/2 lbs of chunk bologna and cut it into bite size 1-inch squares. Sterilize 3-1 quart canning jars and lids in a hot water bath and evenly divide the chunks between them. Heat 8 C of vinegar, 2 sliced onions, 2 sliced lemons, 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves of garlic, 1/2 C of pickling spice, 1 tsp of whole black peppercorns, and 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 8 minutes once it has boiled. Remove the bay leafs and our equal amounts of the mixture into the jars, stopping about 1 inch from the top. The jars should seal themselves as they cool. Allow for one week of curing before gifting. Make certain that you add the label, "Store in the refrigerator after opening", with the gift.

Parmesan Crackers:

Sift together 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 2 C of flour. Stir in 2 tsp of "fine herbs" (They are called that, if you don't recognize it. It is parsley, chervil, chives, and tarragon mixed together). Cut in 2/3 C of butter and add 1 1/3 C of shredded Parmesan cheese. Mix until it is crumbly. Whip 6 egg yolks and add 4 tsp of cold water, mixing thoroughly. Add this mixture to the flour/butter combination. Knead it on a floured surface for about 2 minutes, or until it is smooth.

Roll the dough out until the thickness is 1/8 inch and cut into 1-inch squares. Transfer the squares to a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the squares are light brown. Cool completely and store.