Beer-Pretzel Cheese Ball Recipe for Father's Day

By: Michelle Buffardi
beer cheese ball

What do you make for the man who claims to have invented "pull my finger," and who still responds to "I'm hungry" with, "Hi, Hungry, I'm Dad"? The man who proudly drove a minivan with the vanity plate GR8 DAD throughout your youth, dishing out lame puns ( "Did you hear the Energizer Bunny got arrested? Charged with battery!") as he carpooled you around town.

This guy deserves the best. And the cheesiest, to match his humor. Make him a cheese ball, a dad-friendly anytime snack that's perfect for pop.

Because what says dad better than beer, pretzels, cheese . . . and bad jokes?
Here's the recipe:

Beer-Pretzel Cheese Ball

10 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded

10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
5 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons shallots, chopped
1 cup ale (such as Bass)
Dash hot sauce, such as Tabasco
A few drops Worcestershire sauce
Coarse salt
2 cups pretzels
  1. Blend the cheeses, shallots, beer, hot sauce, Worcestershire and a pinch of coarse salt in a stand mixer or food processor until blended. Form a large ball and wrap in plastic at least one hour until firm.
  2. Use a food processor to pulse the pretzels into bits. (You can also crush them by the handful.) If you're serving the cheese ball immediately, coat it with the crushed pretzels and serve with (uncrushed) pretzels and crackers. If you are not serving the cheese ball right away, refrigerate until you're ready and coat with the pretzels just before serving so they don't get soggy.
beer and pretzel cheese ball

Cheese balls for other important occasions:

And some other recipes Dad would love:

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