mini yogurt cheese balls

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I thought I’d share a healthier recipe with you guys today, lest you start thinking that all we do in our household is sit around slathering sticks of butter onto strips of twisted bacon and frying up mac ‘n cheese for breakfast! Although I don’t hold back when it comes to comfort food and delicious treats, we do try to balance it out with healthy snacks and meals, too. I love this appetizer because it tastes great, it’s healthy and it looks great on a serving platter!

taco cheese ball

These little gems are very easy to make, too!

Starting with some greek yogurt, mix in a teaspoon of salt for every three cups of yogurt. Spoon the yogurt onto a doubled up piece of cheesecloth (I just used a white cotton kitchen towel), tie up the sides and hang over a bowl for 24 hours (no need to refrigerate). Remove the “cheese” from the cloth, roll into balls, place on a baking sheet and put in the refrigerator for a few hours until they’re nice and firm.

yogurt cheese balls

At this point you can place them in a sterilized jar, cover with olive oil and store them at room temperature until you’re ready to use them. Supposedly they’ll keep for several months, although we’ve never been able to keep them around that long!

You can do a lot of different things with these….sometimes I add chopped herbs and spices before rolling into balls or I roll them in a spice mixture just before serving (did you know most spices provide healthy antioxidants?). Grated lemon zest and a bit of garlic is a delicious combo, too! This time I just rolled them in some taco seasonings and served on cracked pepper Triscuits…but they’re awesome with pita bread, too! Just use your imagination – the sky’s the limit!

Cheers!