My pants are beginning to feel a lot like it’s Christmas, ya’ll. That’s because I just ate ALL THE FOOD. All of the delicious gluten-free Christmas food. Including the cheese ball. This cheese ball –
Which could actually double for a Super Bowl recipe. CHEESE BALL!!!!
I’m totally addicted to this new cookbook, Great Balls of Cheese and am determined to make every ball in there. And I found the perfect excuse to make this beer and pretzel version gluten-free when I found Omission’s IPA at Whole Foods and I needed a dark’ish beer for this particular cheese ball, and guess what, they also had Glutino gluten-free pretzels. Also, Whole Foods gave me a great opportunity to pretend it was Christmas early by providing my fab readers (myself included) with a gift card giveaway ($50!!) to that healthy, gluten-free friendly grocery store for all of your holiday needs. All of them. So I did!
Here’s what you’re seeing in that overall pic, but close up because I want everyone hungry right now. Here’s the London Broil, aka, the main course-
Do you know what goes well with a London Broil? A gluten-free potato and Brussels sprouts gratin.
Who wants fudge? I do! Oh, and don’t forget about those cinnamon scented pine cones you see out front of your local WF store. Mmmmm, smells like Christmas.
You don’t think I’d forget about salad, do you? I just whipped up an easy fresh kale salad with pomegranate seeds and a lemon olive oil dressing and served it alongside a glass of sparkling wine with a splash of pomegranate juice. That is festive as hell. Why yes, I DID get all of this at Whole Foods.
So get ready for the gluten-free holiday you guys, and get ready to win $50!!!! Answer me this in comments for your chance at a random drawing by Monday, December 23rd: Which one of these recipes made you the hungriest?
GF Beer and Pretzel Cheese Ball
adapted from Great Balls of Cheese
Prep time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon shallots, minced
1/2 cup gluten-free ale
1/4 teaspoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of coarse salt
Dash of hot sauce
1 – 2 cups crushed gluten-free pretzels for coating
1. Mix together Swiss, cheddar, cream cheese, shallots, gluten-free beer, gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, salt and hot sauce until completely combined. Form mixture into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Remove ball from refrigerator and coat in broken gluten-free pretzels. Serve with gluten-free crackers or gluten-free pretzels.
Makes: 12 servings
Potato Brussels Sprout Gratin
Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 75 minutes
Ingredients:
1 TB unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
1 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup grated Gruyere
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using tablespoon of butter, grease a medium casserole dish and sprinkle minced garlic evenly on top of butter.
2. In a large saucepan layer potato slices and salt and pepper. Cover with cream and mix and combine. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in half of the Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of Gruyere and season with salt and pepper again.
3. Add Brussels sprouts to medium skillet with heated olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and sugar and cook on medium for 2 minutes.
4. Cover bottom of casserole dish with 1/3 of potato and cream mixture. Top with 1/3 Brussels sprouts, and repeat twice. Top with the remaining Parmesan and Gruyere and bake for 45 minutes.
5. Remove gratin from oven and cover with gluten-free bread crumbs and return to oven for 10 more minutes. Allow to cool and set for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Makes: 16 servings
London Broil
prep time: 5 minutes cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
5 pounds top round
1 cup red wine
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon Peppercorns
Kosher salt
1. Place steak, wine, garlic, sugar, peppercorns and salt in gallon Ziploc bag. Allow to marinate for 3-5 hours, the last hour at room temperature.
2. Place top round in broiler and cook for 7 minutes on each side. Remove and allow meat to sit for at least 15 minutes. Slice thinly, and serve.
Makes: 8 servings
Gluten is my Bitch 
I would love that gift card, and I totally want to devour the cheese ball!
The potato and brussel sprout gratin. Love me some brussel sprouts
Kale with pomegranite.
The gluten-free potato and Brussels sprouts gratin! Love love!
Yep, the brussels sprouts gratin made my mouth water, and it’s only 9:15am!
Definitely the potato brussels sprout gratin! Love Gruyere mm
The cheese ball for me! I’m a true Wisconsin girl 🙂
OMG!! That cheese ball. 😉
The London Broil!! The others sound good, too. I like using London broil, but never take the time to marinate it – this marinade sounds sooo good, I must make this asap! I also love how good it smells at the entrance to Whole Foods, the cinnamon scented pine cones and the evergreens, it is so pretty I take pictures!
That is quite the spread! I can never say no to a cheese ball and that one looks GOOD!
I love a cheese ball! It always seems so festive.
All of them, but a tie with the gratin and the cheese ball. Just curious if you’ve ever had a reaction to the Omission beer — I’ve read a lot of mixed reviews.
I haven’t Alicia. And I react pretty strongly simply to cross contamination at a restaurant or a friend’s house.
The cheese ball! Thanks for the chance to win!
The Potato Brussels Sprout Gratin. Please excuse me while I wipe the drool from my keyboard. 6q8w7eyr8f9ig0
Gift card would be awesome~
the potato and brussels sprout gratin! …an interesting twist with the brussels sprout addition. though the kale and pomegranate is a close second- sounds like a refreshing complement!
the See’s Fudge sounds amazing! im drooling 🙂
The gluten-free potato and Brussels sprouts gratin.looks great.
Cheese Ball! I could (used to) eat cheese and crackers for dinner every night.
I still do that, Lesley B.
London Broil….I’m an absolute carnivore and it looks sooooooo good!
Oh definitely the GF Beer and Pretzel Cheese Ball. That’s like all my favorite foods rolled into one! 🙂
The cheese ball for sure!
That London broil looks so juicy and good! Great on top of the kale. Yum. Would love a gift card.
The cheese ball looks delish!! Thanks so much! denisekonkel@gmail.com
the Potato Brussels Sprout Gratin looks yummy!
The GF Beer and Pretzel Cheese Ball sounds so good!
Cheese ball… Yummmmm
Dat potato gratin 😀
The london broil looks great!
I’m a sucker for fudge, but they cheese ball is no joke!
-Dana
fudge!
The cheese ball made me drool, but I can’t make it. Bob is allergic to dairy. But I can still drool over the recipe.
London Broil. Total food porn.
Definitely the beer and cheese ball!
That London Broil is my favorite, hands down.
I’d love to win this giveaway – thanks for the opportunity! Out of those options, I’d pick the Potato Brussels Sprout Gratin but that London Broil sure looks yummy.
London broil!
The cheese ball is making me mega hungry! I want to try and make it!
Definitely want to make the cheese ball
The pretzel cheese ball for sure! nickijoseph91@gmail.com
The GF Beer and Pretzel Cheese Ball makes me the hungriest.
The gluten-free potato and brussels sprouts gratin definitely makes me the hungriest — Yum!!
Mmm, beer cheese ball, something to try when this baby comes out!
Definitely the GF Beer and Pretzel Cheese Ball!
Everything looks so delicious to me! But that fudge looks really tempting. Thank you for the great giveaway! I would love to win this.
lola_violets_2010{at}yahoo{dot}com
My brain tells me I should pick the Brussels sprouts gratin, but my mouth tells me that teeth were made for ripping up and grinding delicious meats. Therefore, my official pick is the London broil. Fudge also made the list, but not for hunger reasons – only fudge reasons.
Potatoes Brussels Sprout Gratin thanks
London Broil!!
kenhall013@gmail.com
Thanks so much!
The london broil looks awesome!
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
GF Beer and Pretzel Cheese Ball
The potato and Brussels sprouts gratin sounds good. We all love brussel sprouts here.
The Potato Brussel Sprouts Gratin sounds amazing !!
Congrats, mdmills84! You’re our Whole Foods winner.
I’m loving the potato and Brussels sprouts gratin! Thanks for sharing the recipes and giveaway!
The potato brussel sprouts grating looks amazing!
I am craving the cheese ball. Sounds way too good.
the London Broil sounds amazin
Potato Brussel Sprout! Oh My YUMMM!
Potato Brussel Sprouts..delicious!
suzanneedevaux@yahoo.com
The potato and brussel sprouts gratin!
The brussel sprout dish looks heavenly.
diannehall777@gmail.com
The cheeseball
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
The entire menu made me hungry, but I especially liked the Brussels sprouts gratin. Yum!
The Beer Cheese Ball sounds GREAT!!!