Sweet and crunchy goat cheese ball recipe served inside a butternut squash bowl.
Cookbook recipes
Have you ever opened a new cookbook and wanted to make so many of the recipes inside, that you didn’t know where to begin? How do you decide which one to try first?
Well get ready for a surprise? This month the Recipe Redux is playing my favorite menu planning game, Grab a Book & Cook.
Selecting random recipes
To celebrate the end of the year, we’re following a random cookbook recipe. Just like the paint by number kits but we’re cooking by pages. Making a recipe from any combination of the numbers in 2016.
This is a fun way to select your cookbook recipes. You can use any significant year (current one, birthday, anniversary) or number combinations (ages, phone number).
So fun that we’ll play this game again next year. See how Chrissy Teigan’s tuna noodle casserole inspired this Tuna Melt Lasagna recipe.
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Deconstructed salad inspiration
Full of amazing, healthy and realistic recipes, I went with the The American Cancer Society’s new Healthy Eating Cookbook by Jeanne Besser. Inspired by the holiday season, I deconstructed the Spinach Salad with Squash and Goat Cheese (page 106) into an easy appetizer idea, a cheese ball.
Ingredients
butternut squash – used to make the bowl (this cheese ball is served in) and the chips that go along with it.
avocado oil, salt and pepper to season the chips
goat cheese – the star of this cheese ball
dried fruit & nuts – including walnuts, pecans and craisins
honey to both sweeten and garnish
Goat cheese ball recipe
Mix together the goat cheese, fruit, nuts and honey to make your cheese ball. Wrap in a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a ball. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve this goat cheese appetizer straight from the refrigerator. For a creamier goat cheese dip, return the whole dish to the oven for 5-10 minutes to warm through.
Edible bowl
For a fun presentation that also helps cut back on the number of dishes to wash, switch to serving this cheese ball an edible bowl instead of real one.
Scoop out the center of the sliced butternut squash. Remove the seeds (save them for this recipe) and you’ve just carved yourself the perfect bowl.
You’ll need to bake the squash if you plan on eating it with the goat cheese. Here’s another edible bowl idea that can be enjoyed raw.
Sweet & Crunchy Cheese Ball
A fruit, nut and goat cheese mixture served inside a carved butternut squash bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash
- ½ tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 ounce (¼ cup) walnuts, chopped
- 1 ounce (¼ cup) pecans, chopped
- 1 ounce (¼ cup) craisins, chopped
- 5 ounces goat cheese
- honey, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
Edible Squash Bowl
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Peel skin off of the butternut squash. Cut in half crosswise, slightly above where the round bulb turns into the neck of the squash. (This will create space to have a lid for your butternut squash bowl.)
- From the bulb portion, cut another crosswise piece off the top to expose the seeds inside. Use a spoon to scoop them out. Reserve the neck portion and seeds for another recipe.
- Place the butternut squash bulb & its "lid" on the baking tray. Brush all over with oil. Arrange pieces with their cut sides down.
- Cook in preheated oven for 60-90 minutes, until cooked through but still firm enough to hold its shape. Transfer to a wire wrack to cool.
Cheese Ball
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the chopped nuts and craisins.
- Place the goat cheese into another small bowl. Mix in most of the nut mixture. Reserve some to use as a garnish.
- Cover and refrigerate until the squash bowl is finished cooking.
Serve in the Squash Bowl
Spoon the cheese mixture into the cooked squash bowl. Serve chilled or warmed in the oven for 5-10 minutes for a creamier cheese dip. When serving, place squash "lid" on top.
Serve in a Ball
Transfer the cheese mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap and form into a ball. Refrigerate to chill.
Notes
Serve on a charcutier board, with crackers. (optional) If desired, drizzle honey over top.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 79Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 55mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g
