Recipes: Seafood Cheese Ball - Hatch Chile Cream Sauce

Below are the two recipes that I sampled out on Friday.  Both recipes were enjoyed, but one was the clear favorite.

I browse the isles at Fresh Market looking for products to sample with my wine tastings.  I search for ... something a customer might not purchase if they do not know what it tastes like ... something to inspire customers to cook and be creative ... something to give customers party and dinner ideas ... and FUN.  I do like fun. 

Robert Rothschild's Peach Coconut Mango Habanero Seafood Sauce caught my eye.  I immediately knew it was something I wanted customers to taste.  For weeks I was obsessed with preparing something, anything, with it.  I tested and tested recipes and finally came up with the recipe below Seafood Cheese Ball.   

Seafood Cheese Ball

8 oz.  cream cheese, softened

½ c. butter, softened

½ lb. TFM Seafood Salad

8 oz. PreMoo cheese, shredded

¼ c. red onion, diced

1 jar Robert Rothschild Peach Coconut Mango

 Habanero Seafood Sauce

TFM Entertainment crackers or TFM French Rounds

In a medium mixing bowl add cream cheese and butter.  Mix until well blended.  To cream cheese-butter add seafood salad, PreMoo, and onion.  Mix until everything has been incorporated.  Shape into a rectangle and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve: place on serving dish and top with Robert Rothschild Peach Coconut Mango Habanero Seafood Sauce.

Variation:  Shape mixture into a ball and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Prior to serving roll the Seafood Cheese Ball in 1 cup chopped Honey Roasted Almonds.  Place on serving dish.  Serve.  You can serve Robert Rothschild Peach Coconut Mango Habanero Seafood Sauce on the side if you would like.

Tip:  You can freeze the cheese ball for up to 1 month.  Cover with nuts or sauce when you're ready to serve.

Whew!  I'm hard on myself with my cooking and such a critic.  As with everything I prepare, I was on pins and needles hoping customers would enjoy this recipe.  I'm ecstatic to say my recipe testing was a HUGE success.  Customers loved the Seafood Cheese Ball.  I served this two ways.  One with Robert Rothschild Peach Coconut Mango Habanero Seafood Sauce on top.  The other with honey roasted almonds. The Seafood Cheese Ball with the sauce was the favorite and met with rave reviews.  This is a definite party pleaser! 

For more recipes using Robert Rothschild Peach Coconut Mango Habanero Seafood Sauce go to their website.

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My Jalapeno Cream Sauce is a favorite of mine and my husbands.  With Hatch Chiles in season I modified the recipe.  This cream sauce is the perfect accompaniment for The Fresh Market's Santa Fe Chicken (located in the meat department).  It's a quick, easy, and delicious meal.  Santa Fe Chicken freezes well and reheats nicely on those long, busy days when you're working and/or coming home from the children's after school activities.

Hatch Chile Cream Sauce

8 oz.  sour cream

8 oz. cream cheese 

½ c. cilantro, coarsely chopped, packed
5 large scallion, with green, coarsely chopped

3 to 4 Hatch Chiles, roasted, peeled, stemmed, and seeded

salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yields: 3 cups 

I used 3 Mild Hatch Chiles in this recipe, making it on the spicy side.  You can adjust the heat by adjusting the number of Hatch Chiles you use.  Customers enjoyed this recipe as well.  (Whew!)

Keep this recipe on hand for Labor Day weekend. 


For tasting the Hatch Chile Cream Sauce I was thinking Labor Day parties and decided to serve it with Party Bites.  You can also serve with tortilla chips (I used the TFM Lime Tortilla Chips).  A nice starter and fun finger food.

Party Bites
    On frill picks skewer an assortment of tidbits.  I used - ham, turkey, Serrano ham, Chorizo, Old Crock Cheddar cheese, PreMoo, grape tomatoes, cucumber, sweet bell pepper, TFM Jalapeno Stuffed Green Olives and TFM Almond Stuffed Green Olives.

I want to thank Robert Rothschild for sending me coupons and recipe cards to give to customers.  When I decided to sample their products with my wine tastings I reached out to them.  I appreciate their support.