Cheese Ball Checkers

This is 'cheese ball' in two ways: It's NERDY, of course, and it has the cheesy deliciousness of cheese ball! But either way it's super fun to play and eat!!

I have recently started teaching my son how to play checkers on my computer. Since I don't have an actual game board I thought I would make one that we could eat as a fun and tasty snack! I figured it would definitely be a memorable experience and he might remember the rules of the game better this way. He's five....and learning quickly but loved, loved, loved being able to eat the 'checkers' after he jumped mine.

Of course the rest of the family jumped in after a few moves to munch the 'checkers' and the game board too! It would be a fun appetizer for a party since one can't really disappoint with cheese ball!

You will need the following to make cheese ball checkers yourself:
- cheese ball - recipe follows
- olives - green and black (kalamata)
- triskets or other square crackers
- pumpernickel bread
- toothpicks
- large surface for the playing board

Step 1: Cheese Ball Recipe

Cheese Ball
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
4-6 thin slices hard salami, diced
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts
1/2 c. finely chopped chives

-16 green olives and 16 black olives - you will only need 12 of each for the 'checkers' but you will need a few extra in case you get 'kinged'. Then you can just add an extra olive to the top of the toothpick!
-toothpicks

In a medium mixing bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, onion, bell pepper, salami and cheddar until ingredients are well incorporated. Refrigerate 20 minutes.

Once mixture is cold (and slightly firmer) press the mixture onto a piece of waxed paper and form into a rectangle keeping the thickness the same throughout. Cut into 24 equal sized pieces and roll into balls.

Roll 12 of the balls in chopped walnuts and top with a green olive securing with a toothpick.

Roll the other 12 balls in chopped chives and top with a black olive securing with a toothpick.

Refrigerate until it's assembly time.

Comments

[WUVIE]

Oh my gosh, this is such a fabulous idea!

[wold630]

Thanks, and tasty too. Great for parties!

[Andre Coetzee]

Well done on your 1st place! Now for some Chess treats the next time ...;-)

[wold630]

Thank you. I will post a chess set if I can come up with an edible one. I have been thinking about it since my son has figured out checkers. He needs to move on to the next challenge. Let me know if you make one first!

[Vika84]

Congratulations and good luck! :-) Loved your 'instructable' from the very start of this contest!

[wold630]

Thanks and congrats to you too!

[canida]

This is an awesome idea! I love it.

[wold630]

Thanks!

[cookery]

I love it! So cute and looks tasty too. Will make it for my grandchildren..ages 6 and 3--they will love it too. And teach them how to play checkers to boot!

[wold630]

They will surely love it as my boys did. Have fun!

[milkywaybar]

I wonder how hard it would be to make a more complex game... Such as Monopoly? also, you could make chess using this:

[wold630]

Monopoly would be hard. Chinese checkers would be tempting though. I love the ice chess! You should do that for the water challenge!!

[amy-sue]

Now this is how you make checkers SO FUN! And so pretty that I would feel like I was eating art! What a clever idea. :)

[wold630]

Thank you! Do you remember in Overboard when Goldie Hawn loses her memory and is so mad she tells that guy to eat his checkers? I kept hearing that line when I was making this!!

[sunshiine]

Clever idea!

[wold630]

Thanks!

[LauraLauraLynn]

That is SO COOL I might make it some time.

[wold630]

Thanks! You should definitely try it. It's really easy!

[Dusk Shadows]

Now when your pieces get kill or whatever YOU CAN EAT THEM!! yay for food

[wold630]

Yes! That's the fun of it!!

[Dusk Shadows]

Yay food

[mygibzone]

How cute! This is a perfect picnic snack!

[wold630]

Thanks! If you had everything made it would definitely be an easy assembly at a picnic!

[fjordcarver]

Awesome!

[wold630]

Thanks!

[Penolopy Bulnick]

That is the cutest and yummiest idea! And you really thought of everything, even adding in how to king!

[wold630]

Thank you!

[bajablue]

Yummy! I'm afraid I'd never make it through the game. ;-)

[wold630]

We didn't play the entire game but made it through some jumps to eat along the way. One of us is only five so it was hard!! :)