It’s National Cheeseball Day! Did you know that the term “cheeseball” can actually refer to two very different foods? The first type of cheeseballs are the bright orange, marble-sized snacks that turn your fingers orange (very similar to cheese doodles). The second type is the kind you might serve with crackers at a party.

A traditional cheeseball appetizer includes ingredients like cream cheese, cheddar cheese, nuts, salt, pepper, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Gourmet versions use bleu cheese, olives, pineapple, sherry, or smoked salmon. According to legend, a man named Elisha Brown Jr. pressed the first cheeseball at his farm in 1801. It weighed 1,235 pounds! He presented it as a gift to President Thomas Jefferson at the White House.

To celebrate National Cheeseball Day, pick up a bag of cheeseballs at your local grocery store or make your own gourmet cheeseball as a dinner appetizer! Enjoy!