Chive & Shallot Cheese Spread

If you’re looking for a quick and easy party appetizer you’ll want to try this Chive & Shallot Cheese Spread. Especially if your chives are growing in abundance in your herb garden. This flavored cream cheese spread is perfect served with sliced baguette wedges or on your favorite choice of crackers. You’ll have people hovering around the serving dish until the very last bite.

Have you ever been on a photography scavenger hunt? If you haven’t, let me share the details. A photography scavenger hunt is a fun way to go out on an adventure with family or friends on a beautiful sunny day. If you have a destination in mind and know what you want to explore you can customize the list to your liking to share with the others along for the ride. Or if you’re really adventurous you can have someone else make the list for you!

My girlfriend came up with this idea a few months ago when we were both looking for an excuse to get out of the house. She picked up my daughter and I, grabbed some hot drinks and took a drive around Sudbury. We all had a great time. This was totally one of those times were the journey was way more fun then the destination. With cell phones in hand to snap our photos, we were off. I decided it would also be fun to share on Instagram in case people were ever in the area and wanted to check out all the fun places we went. It looks like there are other people sharing their #photographscavengerhunt on there. So cool!

Last weekend I was inspired to make a photography scavenger hunt for my daughter and I on Manitoulin Island. We have family that live there so I thought it would be a fun way to spend the day with my daughter and go for a visit at the same time. I had a pretty good idea of what we would be able to find on our travels but I also reached out to my cousin who was even more familiar with the area. Here is the list along with a few of the pictures I took that day.

It was so lovely to visit with my aunt and uncle and my cousin’s kiddos. We played UNO, went for a ride in their golf carts around their HUGE property and finally settled in to nibble on snacks and get caught up. It’s always fun to have little finger food munchies, like this Chive & Shallot Cheese Spread, when you’re relaxing with company. Everything can be made in advance so that means more opportunity to visit with your guests.

It’s so easy to whip up this Chive & Shallot Cheese Spread then take it out of the fridge when your company comes. It would be a delicious addition to any party appetizer table or a Friday evening date night with hubby along with a delicious crisp white wine.

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Chive & Shallot Cheese Spread

Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons half and half (or milk)
• 1 shallot, finely minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ¼ cup chives, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Combine all but the chives in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add additional half and half if needed.
2. Stir in the chopped chives.
3. Line a bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap. Spoon the cheese spread into the plastic lined bowl, firmly packing the cheese into the bowl. Pull the edges of the plastic wrap up and use it to shape the cheese – either with a flat base or into a ball. Make sure the cheese spread is completely covered by the plastic wrap. Place in the fridge.

4. Allow the cheese spread to chill for at least 2 hours until firm.

5. When you’re ready to serve, remove the cheese spread from the plastic wrap and transfer it to a serving plate. Serve along side crackers or a sliced baguette.

Did you make this recipe? Have a meal planning tip to share? Tag @365daysofeasyrecipes on Instagram . I’d love to see!