Goat cheese is one of those things that for years I did not know I liked. I’d had it plenty of times but didn’t know I was eating it. Interestingly, it was a pizza joint that taught me I love the stuff!

I sometimes go to Uno’s Chicago Grill for lunch on Fridays with coworkers. They have these lunchtime specials. Well the one I love has a salad with arugula, goat cheese and walnuts.

Oh. My. Martha. It is so good!

So that’s how I learned I love goat cheese. But then I thought it was a fancy thing that I probably can’t afford so I stashed that love away in the place where I stash all things I cannot afford but love. But. Thanks to Facebook I realized it’s actually within my reach.

Namely because of my friend Denise. She saw me post of my love for goat cheese and my longing for it and kindly pointed it out it costs, like $2.50 at Aldi. (Seriously…Aldi is a magical place. Check out the items I love to buy there!)

Seriously? Seriously??? I could have been eating goat cheese all that time and wasn’t? Those are weeks of my life I can never get back!!! (Sadness)

But knowledge is power, Foodies! I feel it’s my duty to let you all know that if you love goat cheese as I love goat cheese (and who wouldn’t with its creamy texture and rich flavor?) then do NOT let price stop you. If you have an Aldi, get thee to it! And eat some goat cheese!

Now…onto the cheeseball. You guys know I love them for parties, especially holiday parties. They are yummy, easy to “protein” and theymake you look like you are a super gourmet cook. (In reality that last one is the biggest deal to me lol.)

This one I took to my job the day after I made it (That post you got sent here from? Of all the cheeseballs together? yeah. I made them all in one day. Even my family has its limits of cheeseball absorption so I had to offload onto my co-workers. they did not mind!) Here are some of the comments I got back:

• “Can I get this recipe? I’d love to make this for my upcoming holiday party.”
• “This is so good, thank you!”
• “This cheeseball changed my LIFE!” (<–Not an exaggeration. One of my co-workers actually said that.)

Now let’s consider for a moment what they did not know about the cheeseball. They did not know that it:

• Was no-sugar added
• Had protein powder in it
• Is lower fat

And they still raved! Further evidence of my “just sit the healthy treat down on the food table and walk away” mentality, as opposed to disclaimering that your food is healthy. If it tastes good, Foodies, people will eat it!

As for dippers, you can use sliced fruit (a very mild pear would work well here), jicama, or I’ve paired it here with high-fiber sesame crackers. Your choice. Enjoy!

Raspberry Walnut Goat Cheese Cheeseball

Print Recipe

Servings	Prep Time
1 cheeseball	15 minutes

Passive Time

3 hours

Servings Prep Time 1 cheeseball 15 minutes

Passive Time 3 hours

Raspberry Walnut Goat Cheese Cheeseball Print Recipe Servings Prep Time 1 cheeseball 15 minutes Passive Time 3 hours Servings Prep Time 1 cheeseball 15 minutes Passive Time 3 hours

Ingredients

• 16 oz. Low-fat Greek yogurt cream cheese
• 4 oz. plain goat cheese (I get mine super cheap at Aldi)
• 2 servings unflavored protein powder (I used BiPro USA)
• 3/4 c. sweetener of your choice (double check your sweetener's conversion chart as that measurement assumes Splenda which measures 1:1 with sugar)
• 1/2 c. sugar-free raspberry preserves (I used Fit & Active from Aldi)
• 2 c. chopped walnuts

Servings: cheeseball

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, goat cheese, protein powder and sweetener on medium until thorougly combined.
2. Add preserves and with a flat spatula fold them into the cream cheese mixture. (Folding = turning over gently but not completely mixing in. You want to still see swirls of raspberry in there. TIP: If your preserves are watery, drain them before adding to the mixture or your cheeseball will come out way too soft!
3. Transfer mixture to a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap it, forming it into a ball. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.
4. About 30-40 minutes before you are ready to serve, set a dry skillet over medium heat on the stove. Add walnuts and cook until slightly frangrant (about 3-ish minutes). Allow to cool on a large plate, spreading the nuts out over the entire plate.
5. To assemble the cheeseball, place the ball in the center of the plate of walnuts then use your hands to cover it. Refrigerate until it's time to serve. This dish does well on a party table for about 2-ish hours. (But it won't last that long. Trust me!)

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