Cheese & Cottage Cheese Balls
These simple European cheese balls combine sharp cheese with creamy cottage cheese, garlic, and fresh herbs. The mixture is rolled into bite-sized balls and coated with chopped herbs for an easy cold appetizer that’s perfect for parties, holidays, or snack platters.
Ingredients
Method
- If the cottage cheese is particularly wet, drain it well. For a smoother texture, press it through a fine sieve or briefly blend it.
- Combine the grated cheese and cottage cheese in a bowl.
- Add the minced garlic and approximately half of the chopped dill and parsley.
- Mix thoroughly until the ingredients form a cohesive mixture. Taste and season with salt as needed.
- Take small portions of the cheese mixture and roll them between your palms to form bite-sized balls, approximately 2–3 cm (1 inch) in diameter.
- Combine the remaining chopped dill and parsley on a plate.
- Roll each cheese ball in the fresh herbs until lightly coated on all sides.
- Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Notes
Cheese: The original recipe simply calls for ass siers, meaning a strongly flavored or sharp cheese. A mature Cheddar, Gouda, or another flavorful semi-hard cheese works well.
Cottage cheese: Latvian biezpiens is somewhat closer to farmer’s cheese or quark than many watery supermarket cottage cheeses. If using cottage cheese, drain it thoroughly first.
Herbs: The original recipe uses a generous 100 g of fresh herbs in total: 40 g dill and 60 g parsley.
Serving: Serve these chilled as part of an appetizer platter, buffet, or alongside vegetables and bread.
Make ahead: They can be prepared several hours ahead and refrigerated in a covered container.
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