Kickoff Cheese Ball

By bossenga

Ingredients

• 1/2 8 ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed and softened
• 4 ounces Colby-Monterey Jack cheese, cubed and at room temperature
• 1/2 cup rinsed and drained canned no-salt-added garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped purchased roasted red sweet pepper
• 1/2 cup small pretzel twists
• Small pretzel twists and/or assorted crackers

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place cream cheese, cheese cubes, and garbanzo beans in a food processor. Cover; process until smooth, about 1 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed (mixture will be stiff).

2. Spoon mixture into a 9-inch pie plate; add red pepper and mix until combined. Spread cheese mixture evenly in the pie plate. Cover and chill for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

3. Place the pretzels in a zip top bag. Use a rolling pin to finely crush the pretzels. Place on a piece of waxed paper.

4. Scrape the cheese mixture together and form into a ball. Add to the pretzel crumbs and roll to coat, shaping into an oval football as you roll. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with additional pretzels and/or crackers.