Patsy's Cheeseball

******Please note that I have no picture of this dish yet!  After we have enjoyed it on Thanksgiving day, I will update this post with a photo.*********   

     Of all the recipes I have to share, it is this post that simultaneously gives me the greatest joy and the deepest sadness.  This is the recipe in my box that when I get it exactly right and taste it for the first time causes me to pause.  Sometimes that pause leads me to sit down and allow myself a good, long cry because I miss my grandmother so much.

     When I was little, we lived in Jacksonville, North Carolina because my dad was a Marine stationed at the Camp Lejeune New River Air Station.  My mom's family all lived in Virginia so several times a year we would head north through the mountains to visit.  Without fail, as soon as we arrived, my grandmother would pull out the sweet tea, the cheeseball, and the Ritz crackers.  We would gather around her kitchen table and we were a family.  Mom would catch up on all that she had missed while she had been gone and my grandmother would continue to feed us. We generally arrived at night and I remember those conversations feeling so hushed and so sacred in the yellow kitchen light.  I would give anything to sit again in that space with my family members who have passed away.  I remember feeling nothing but pure contentment.  There are times when I feel this way in my own kitchen and I try desperately to hold on tight to these moments as I imagine my grandmother quietly joining us in spirit.  She loved nothing more than to feed her family and her friends with food she made my hand and this is where I connect with her the most.  I always have.

   As for the cheeseball itself, you may not be very impressed with the recipe.  I feel certain that you have tasted it before as it is has been around for years and frequently makes an appearance at showers and other gatherings.  While I love all kinds of cheeseballs, I have yet to find one that I love as much as this one.  I am sure this is mostly because of the memories I associate with it.  In addition to serving it to weary travelers, my grandmother always made one at Thanksgiving and Christmas and I have continued that tradition.  We always end up a little full from it before we sit down for the big meal but there is no way I would consider leaving it out of my lineup!

Patsy's Cheeseball

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. finely chopped green pepper
1 C. finely chopped pecans, divided
2 T. finely chopped onion (we always grate it on a box grater and I think that's why our cheeseball is so good)
1 6-8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained well (I usually place the pineapple in a strainer over a bowl and push on it with a wooden spoon to release the juices)
1 t. seasoned salt

Using only 1/2 the pecans, mix all the ingredients well in a bowl.  Gather mixture over to one side of the bowl in as close to a ball shape as you can.  Cover and refrigerate until very firm (about 3 - 4 hours).  Gather into your hands and shape like a ball.  If mixture softens while rolling, return it to the fridge until it is firm again.  Roll in remaining pecans.