Ingredients

　　Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

　　One 3 3/4-ounce can smoked oysters, drained

　　One O.4-ounce package Hidden Valley Original Ranch Buttermilk Recipe salad dressing mix

　　1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

　　1 heaping tablespoon Durkee Famous Sauce

Coating Options

　　Chopped green onions

　　Cracker crumbs

　　Bacon bits

　　Chopped pecans

　　Chopped fresh parsley

　　In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, oysters, salad dressing mix, lemon juice, and Durkee Famous Sauce with a fork. Refrigerate the mixture until workable, about 30 minutes. Place the cheese mixture on a sheet of waxed paper and shape into ball. Roll the ball in one or more of the suggested coatings (or create your own). I like to coat the cheese ball with cracked pepper (2 tablespoons) and then with chopped green onions (1/2-3/4 cup).

　　The Lady & Sons, Too! by Paula Deen. © 2001 by Paula H. Deen. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Paula H. Deen was born and raised in Albany, Georgia. She later moved to Savannah, where she and her two sons, Bobby and Jamie, started the Bag Lady catering company. The business took off and evolved into The Lady & Sons Restaurant, which is located in Savannah’s historic district and specializes in Southern cooking. Paula is the host of Food Network’s Paula’s Home Cooking and is a regular guest on QVC, where her cookbooks are one of the newtowrk’s biggest sellers.