Southern Tomato Aspic Salad

Serves: 12

Hands On Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 6 hours and 0 minutes

Ingredients

Cheeseball 

2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons chili sauce

2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish

1 teaspoon grated onion

Aspic

5 (0.25-ounce) packets unflavored gelatin

1 (46-ounce) can (or 6 cups) tomato juice

Juice of 2 lemons

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3 onions, quartered

3 ribs celery

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Tabasco sauce

Lettuce leaves

Mayonnaise 

Fresh parsley sprigs

Carrot curls

Instructions

To make the cheese balls: In a bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, chili sauce, pickle relish and onion. Chill for 30 minutes.

To make the aspic: Soak the gelatin in 1 cup cold water. In a large saucepan, combine tomato juice, lemon juice, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, onions, celery, bay leaves, sugar and salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Strain into a bowl or large measuring cup. Season to taste with Tabasco sauce. Stir in the gelatin.

Pour into 12 lightly oiled ramekins or individual molds. Cool to lukewarm.

Using a spoon, shape the cheese ball mixture into 12 (1-inch) balls. Drop one into each ramekin.

Refrigerate molds for at least 6 hours. Unmold and serve on a lettuce leaf with a dab of mayonnaise, decorated with sprig of parsley or carrot curls.

Nutrition

Per serving: 111 calories (percent of calories from fat, 57), 2 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 7 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 16 milligrams cholesterol, 743 milligrams sodium.

About the recipe

This old-school recipe is a jiggly throwback that has a surprise kick in the form of a cheese ball hidden inside a delicious salad. 

This recipe can be halved to make six servings.

Chili sauce gives the cheese balls a kick and guests will be surprised to find them hiding in their salads.