RECIPES

Wisconsin Cheese Ball Barn

Active Time

1.5 Hours

Servings

Makes

1 Cheese Ball

Ingredients

2 whole garlic bulbs
4 teaspoons olive oil
4 packages (8 ounces each) Crystal Farms Original Cream Cheese, softened
16 ounces Eau Galle Asiago cheese, shredded (4 cups)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Barn Decorations:

Eau Galle Asiago cheese
Thinly sliced salami, cut to fit windows and door shapes
Meat snack sticks, cut into pieces
Store-bought pumpernickel bread slices, trimmed if needed
Thin breadsticks
Fresh parsley and rosemary sprigs
Assorted crackers

Cheese

Look for the Proudly Wisconsin Badge when shopping for cheese. Any brand of Wisconsin Asiago or Cream Cheese can be used in this recipe.

Instructions

Heat oven to 400°F.
Remove papery outside from garlic (keeping cloves together). Cut off the top third of each garlic bulb; drizzle each with olive oil. Wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until garlic is tender. Cool for 15 minutes. Squeeze garlic into a small bowl. Mash with a fork.
Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese, asiago and butter in a large bowl until combined. Add the chives, pepper and garlic; beat until mixture is blended.
Spoon into two plastic wrap-lined, 5-3/4 x 3 x 2-inch mini loaf pans, taking care to press asiago mixture into pans. Wrap in plastic wrap. Place remaining asiago mixture on a rectangular piece of plastic wrap; shape with wrap into a log for silo, about 1 ½-inches diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate asiago mixture for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Unwrap asiago mixture from one loaf pan; place on a cutting board wider-top side up. Score top with a fork. Unwrap asiago mixture from second loaf pan; score wider top. Flip second asiago loaf; press the scored tops together. Seal seams between asiago loaves for barn.
Gently shave or shape roofline of barn with a sharp knife, trimming about 2 inches on each side.

Barn Decorations:

Transfer barn to a serving board for decorating. Thinly slice asiago; cut slices into windows and door shapes. Press salami on windows and door. Place on barn. Add meat sticks for siding. Top roofline with bread.
Unwrap asiago log; round top end for silo. Line outer edges with breadsticks. Place silo on board. Grate additional asiago for snow; place parsley for bushes and rosemary sprigs for trees. Serve with crackers.

Cheesemonger Tip

Eau Galle Cheese was highlighted on the "Today Show" on NBC for their award-winning asiago. Wisconsin Cheesemakers age asiago to develop sharper, buttery and nutty flavors and a hard texture.

Wisconsin Cheese Ball Barn

Ingredients

Barn Decorations:

Cheese

Instructions

Barn Decorations:

Cheesemonger Tip

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