For the Cheese-Lover (in Everyone)

I am a self-proclaimed "cheese-lover". When I am eating a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup, I generally refer to my dish as snow soup. The reason for this is that once I have added my share of grated romano cheese, the broth is no longer transparent, hence the title "snow" soup. In case you have not realized, I go through a lot of cheese when I am eating soup; I am the person you would ask "would you like some soup with your cheese?" Thank goodness for me I have grown up with a recipe of cheeseballs for soup (not that this is a replacement to adding grated cheese) and this passed weekend at Nonna's, like many times before, it was proven a recipe well conceived!

Before going any further...
I would like to refer you to Emeril Lagasse's recipe for a Simple Chicken Noodle Soup, which I have judged a close match to my family's recipe (recognizing the importance of using a whole chicken, with the bones, when making the broth), and which can best accommodate my recipe of cheeseballs for soup.*

Cheeseballs for soup are the equivalent to croutons for salad, and making them is as easy as grabbing the box of croutons off the shelf at your local grocery store (however, I recommend drying out bread for homemade croutons, which is in fact less tedious than a trip to the store). Making cheeseballs for soup, where a "store-bought alternative" is not as easily found, is literally "as easy as 1,2,3". In fact, I will pass over my cheeseball recipe in just 3 easy steps.

The Recipe

Ingredients:
Egg(s) (one to two, depending on quantity)
Grated romano cheese (TIP: pair romano cheeses with soups, parmigiano with pasta)

1) Crack your egg(s) in a bowl and beat well.
2) Add the cheese until the mixture thickens.
3) Roll the mixture into dime-size balls. (They will expand when added to broth.)

It is a good idea to lay out your cheeseballs on a flat plate as you are making them, and to put them in the freezer for a few minutes to harden. Once they have hardened you can add them to your soup during the last few minutes that it cooks on the stove. If you are not using the entire quantity at once, since they have been frozen and therefore will not stick together, you can put them in a freezer bag and they can be kept in your freezer for the next time! I can guarantee you that there will be a next time, and eating soup will never be the same again!

Pleased to pass the cheese,

Haley

*During my search for a nice chicken noodle soup recipe, I stumbled across Everyday Italian with host Giada De Laurentiis for those interested in "updated versions of homey recipes from her Italian family".