Chipped Beef Cheese Balls

The cheese ball as party food took off in postwar America, when cream cheese became widely available and home cooks discovered that the intense saltiness of chipped beef — a pressed, salt-cured dried beef originally developed as military rations — was the perfect foil for rich, tangy cream cheese. By the 1960s and ‘70s, the chipped beef cheese ball had become a staple at holiday open houses and church suppers across the Midwest. Mary Ringlein’s version is generous to a fault: the recipe makes 14 six-ounce balls, enough to anchor a whole party spread. Hidden Valley Ranch mix adds a herby, tangy depth that sets it apart from simpler versions. Make them ahead, keep them cold, and serve with Ritz crackers — they’ll be gone before you know it.