Blue Cheese and Pecan Appetizer Ball

This is another recipe from my best friend Diane.  Her parent's have always done a lot of entertaining and this is a cheese ball from their collection of favorites.  It makes 3 good sized or 2 giant cheese balls.  They are also great as gifts and they keep well in the refrigerator.  I think everyone I have ever served or given the cheese ball as a gift to have wanted the recipe.  I am making them up now to have on hand through the Holidays.  It does not call for a lot of blue cheese but it is very flavorful so there is just enough.  I like Maytag blue cheese if you can find it or you can order it on line.  Also the onion and the celery needs to be diced as fine as you can make it by hand and not in a chopper or processor.  It seems to bruise and become too liquid unless you do it by hand.

Ingredients:
4 oz. Blue Cheese
4.  8 oz. bars cream cheese
1/2 medium onion chopped very fine
3 stalks celery chopped very fine
2 C. chopped pecans

Combine the first four ingredients well,  I use my clean hands.  Form them as you like in balls or rolls and roll in or top with pecans.  Wrap well in plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until you serve.

As you can see I have made 3 generous cheese balls and 2 are tucked away in the bottom of the refrigerator to be forgotten until I have guests or want to give them as a gift.  The other sits ready to taste and enjoy in a few days.  This is really better the longer it sits as the blue in the blue cheese is like starter and tends to grow a bit and flavor the entire treat although it is not at all overpowering.