Green Goddess Pistachio Cheese Ball

First an upside down cake, now a cheese ball. What’s next-tuna noodle casserole? You will never see tuna noodle casserole on this blog. I never liked it, not even as a kid. Does it seem like I have a retro thing going on here?

Bon Appetit featured three “cheese balls” back in October and from the moment that I saw them I knew I would try at least one of them. They all looked appealing, but when I saw “Green Goddess” my decision was made.

There may be more than a few ingredients, but you can see from the directions that this comes together with a few pulses of the food processor. Roll your ball in chopped nuts (you could certainly choose another type, maybe toasted pine nuts), open a box of crackers and you have one easy appetizer. Oh, and don’t forget that cocktail…

Green Goddess Pistachio Cheese Ball
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 anchovy fillets
1 cup watercress leaves
¼ cup mixed tender herb leaves (such as mint, parsley, tarragon and/or cilantro)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Kosher salt
¾ cup pistachios, toasted, chopped

Process cream cheese, goat cheese, and butter in a food processor until smooth. Pulse in anchovies, watercress, herbs, and chives; season with salt. Scrape mixture into a small plastic wrap–lined bowl; gather plastic around cheese, using your hands to shape into a ball. Chill until firm, 3–12 hours.
Just before serving, unwrap cheese ball and roll in pistachios. Serve with crackers.