This zippy, nut-covered ball of cheese has been a fixture at just about every family holiday since I can remember.

It is also the first recipe I ever wrote down. I remember getting a pencil and a piece of loose leaf paper, pulling up a kitchen chair to the counter, and asking my mom for the recipe for her cheese ball. I wanted to write it down so it would never be lost. (Yes, I was a slightly dramatic child.)

My mom smiled and gave a soft laugh before she indulged me. I scribbled it on the paper, which probably knocked around my junk drawer for years. Unfortunately, I do not have that original pencil scrawled recipe, but I have made it for years now so the recipe is tucked away in my brain – just like my mom when I pulled up that kitchen chair to the counter.

Go forth and conquer your friends and family with this super-simple super-delicious cheese ball!