•4 large Anaheim chile peppers ( I used a Container of frozen Chopped Green Chili’s from hatch NM)
•1 1/2 pounds shredded pepper jack cheese
•2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon ground black pepper
•2 cups finely chopped pecans
Directions
1.Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate. Cook chiles on the preheated grill until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the peppers, or the skin will not come off easily. Turn the peppers often to cook evenly. Place the blackened peppers into a bowl, and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 20 minutes. Once cool, remove the skins and seeds. Chop the peppers.
2.If using frozen, defrost and strain juices.
3.Combine the chopped peppers with the pepper jack, cream cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Form the the mixture into a ball and place on a plate covered with wax paper. Place the cheese ball in the freezer until very cold, about 15 minutes.
4.Spread the chopped pecans on a large cutting board or baking sheet. Roll the frozen cheese ball in the pecans. Use your hand to pack any areas that are not covered by pecans, making sure the entire outside of the cheese ball is covered with a nice layer of pecans.
I made this for a weekend barbq up in Phoenix. It travels well freezes well and one batch makes two huge cheesballs. Everyone loved it!
