BB-8 Cheeseball | Star Wars Inspired Recipes
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What’s Up, Hungry People
Our intergalactic journey through the Star Wars galaxy continues with another quick stop to pick up an astromech droid who will complete our delicious spread of dishes from across the quadrants. So far, we’ve been to Jakku for portion puff bread, dined in Batuu on Ronto wraps and met up with Grogu for some spicy stew.
One of the newest and most beloved additions to the Star Wars lore (second to Baby Yoda, probably) is BB-8.
BB-8 is a silly little droid in the Star Wars, popping up first in Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. This roly-poly bot, with its distinctive round body and swiveling dome head, quickly won over fans with its adorable appearance and lively personality. BB-8 is a real sidekick, always ready to help out its pals in the Resistance. The droid’s ability to communicate through chirps and beeps, along with its capacity to perform various tasks, makes it an integral part of the team in the series’ ongoing battle against the First Order. BB-8’s design allows for swift movement and agile navigation, making it not just a cute companion but also a highly functional aide in numerous adventures.
BB-8 is also the companion droid of Poe Dameron – and quite frankly, he’s a little cheeseball. Literally and figuritively.
This delicious little BB-8 is an actual ball of cheese and he’s perfect as the centerpiece to our Star Wars Galaxuterie Board!
Ready to bring a touch of the Force to your table with a cheesy homage to one of the cutest droids in the galaxy? Let’s punch it into hyperdrive to make this BB-8 Cheeseball that’s sure to be the star of any Star Wars-themed gathering. Not only is this treat a fun nod to the saga, but it’s also a delicious addition that will have everyone buzzing like a lightsaber. So grab your ingredients, and let’s get this intergalactic party started!
Here’s What You Need
- Cream cheese: Provides the creamy base for the cheeseball.
- Monterey Jack cheese: Adds a mild flavor and melty texture when mixed with cream cheese.
- Onion powder: Infuses a subtle onion flavor into the cheese mixture.
- Garlic powder: Adds a rich, garlicky undertone to enhance the overall taste.
- Worcestershire sauce: Gives a hint of umami flavor, deepening the savory notes.
- Greek yogurt: Introduces a tangy element and smooths the texture.
- Sharp yellow cheese: Used for decoration, mimicking BB-8’s color scheme.
- Poppy seeds: Adds texture and color contrast to the cheeseball surface.
- Olives: Used for detailing BB-8’s eyes, bringing character to the cheeseball.
- Red pepper flake: Acts as the “focus beam” in BB-8’s design.
- Chives: Provide color and a mild onion-like flavor for additional garnishing.
Let’s Cook
Alright, Hungry People, let’s get our hands a little cheesy! Grab a large bowl and toss in the cream cheese, shredded Monterey Jack, a scoop of Greek yogurt, onion powder, garlic powder, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Now, dive in there and mix it all up until it’s smooth and well combined. You’re aiming for a consistency that feels like it could hold its shape—think of it as prepping your droid’s body for some intergalactic action.
Shaping BB-8
Once your mix is ready, let’s start shaping our droid. Spread out a large sheet of plastic wrap on your counter and scoop the cheese mixture onto it. Pull out about 3/4 cup to form BB-8’s head—you’ll want a smaller ball for that. For the body, wrap up the remaining mixture and use your hands to mold it into a larger, round shape. Got another sheet of plastic wrap? Use it for the smaller head ball. Make sure both parts are nicely wrapped and round. Pop them into the fridge and let them chill out there for at least 8-10 hours. This is crucial—they need to set properly so they can handle all the decorating we’re going to do.
Decorating Your Droid
A couple of hours before serving, it’s time to bring BB-8 to life. Start by cutting the sharp yellow cheese into circles for the body, and don’t forget to punch out a center to make them look like little doughnuts—these are your droid’s gears. Use the leftovers to cut out various small shapes to stick onto the head for more details.
Slice your olives up too—these are going to be BB-8’s eyes. And if you’ve got a steady hand, twirl a chive into a circle for that third sensor below the eyes.
Assembly and Final Touches
Let’s assemble our droid. Set the larger cheese ball on a serving plate, then carefully place the smaller head ball at an angle on top—like BB-8’s head peeking up in motion. To keep it in place, skewer it right through with a clean skewer, trimming any excess that sticks out.
Now, get artistic with those cheese pieces, pressing them onto the body and head. Use a little plastic wrap over your fingers to smooth them into place without sticking. Pop on the olive eyes and the chive sensor. Circle the top of the head with another chive ring around the antenna, and place that tiny bit of red pepper on the larger olive for the focus beam effect.
Before serving, give BB-8 a final touch-up with some poppy seeds pressed gently into the cheese for that grey-ish color. Use a skewer to lightly draw lines across the body to mimic panel seams.
Chill BB-8 one last time to set everything perfectly, then serve this heroic droid up with your favorite crackers and watch as he becomes the star of your Star Wars feast. Enjoy the party, Hungry People, and may the cheese be with you!
Crafting the Perfect BB-8 Cheeseball
- Achieving the Right Consistency: The key to a good cheeseball is in its consistency. Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing it with the other ingredients. This makes it easier to blend smoothly, ensuring that there are no lumps in your final product.
- Flavor Infusion: Allow the cheeseball mixture to chill for several hours, ideally overnight. This not only helps the cheeseball to set but also allows the flavors from the onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce to meld together, enhancing the overall taste.
- Decorative Details: When cutting the sharp yellow cheese for decoration, use a clean and sharp knife to get precise cuts. For BB-8’s intricate details, such as the eyes and focus beam, place small pieces of olives and red pepper flake with tweezers for accuracy.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve your BB-8 cheeseball on a platter surrounded by a variety of crackers and sliced vegetables. This not only makes for a visually appealing presentation but also provides guests with multiple snacking options.
- Maintaining Shape: To help your cheeseball maintain its spherical shape while chilling, place it in a bowl lined with plastic wrap. The wrap will conform to the bowl’s interior, helping to keep everything compact and uniform.
And there you have it, Hungry People—our BB-8 Cheeseball is ready to roll right into your next Star Wars gathering. Not only is it a nod to one of the galaxy’s cutest droids, but it’s also a surefire hit for any fan event or movie night. Crafting this droid out of cheese and spices has shown that with a bit of creativity, you can bring a bit of the Star Wars universe into your kitchen. Whether you’re hosting a big viewing party or just spicing up a weekend snack, BB-8 is ready to serve.
Don’t forget to snap some pictures and tag @TheStarvingChefBlog on IG —this little droid is as photogenic as it is tasty!
BB-8 Cheeseball | Star Wars Inspired Recipes
Equipment
- spherical shaped bowls one bigger one for the body and one smaller for the head
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 32 oz cream cheese blocks room temperature
- 8 oz monterey jack cheese shredded
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 14 cup Greek yogurt
- 5-6 slices sharp yellow cheese
- 2 tablespoons poppyseeds
- 1 extra large olive half for the main "eye"
- 1 small olive slice for the smaller "eye"
- 1 red pepper flake for the "focus beam"
- 3-4 chives
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, Greek yogurt, onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix until well combined.
- Spread out a large sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Prepare a second sheet for a smaller ball. Tip the cream cheese mixture onto the plastic wrap. Remove about 3/4 cup for the head ball. Wrap the plastic wrap around each portion of cheese tightly to form a ball shape. Use spherical bowls to help the balls hold their shape. Chill for at least 8-10 hours to fully set the shapes.
- A few hours prior to serving, cut the slices of sharp cheddar into circles. Then cut out the center of each circle to create a ring of cheddar. Cut smaller square shapes to make the internal cogs on each of the cheddar rings. Cut additional pieces of cheese into various square shapes to decorate the head, as seen in the pictures above.
- Slice the extra large olive in half proportionally to make the main 'eye' shape. Then slice the smaller olive into the secondary 'eye.' Twirl a chive into a ring shape to make the third 'sensor' shape beneath the olives.
- Unwrap the cheeseballs and place the larger one onto the serving plate. Place the smaller ball on top at an angle to look like BB-8's head is in motion. Then use the skewer to poke through the top of the head and hold it in place. Use scissors to trim the 'antenna' to be proportional to the head, then press the excess skewer into the head next to the main one to act as a secondary 'antenna.'
- Press the cheddar rings and squares onto the cheese ball. It helps to use plastic wrap to evenly press the cheddar against the cheese ball. Press the olives onto the head along with the chives.
- Encircle the top of the head with another chive in a ring around the antenna. Add the tiny bit of red pepper to the larger olive to look like the sensor. Then use a skewer to draw lines along the body of the droid to look like panel seams.
- Dip a finger into the poppy seeds and lightly press against the cheese ball to get them to stick. Use sparingly for a grey-ish effect as seen in the pictures above.
- Chill the cheeseball for a few hours prior to serving to fully set the ingredient additions.
- Serve with cracker rations as the centerpiece to a full Star Wars spread – enjoy!
