This week we take a short drive to Jacksonville, AR. Before Jacksonville became the community it is today, it was first settled by two brothers from Tennessee. Once Jacob and Shared Gray arrived, their families followed shortly after. Around 1820 the town expanded and they began growing cotton to make their living.

Once the Cairo and Fulton railroad arrived in 1870 and Jacksonville really bloomed. With the railroad came saloons and new businesses. Soon they had a brand new school, grocery store, flour mill and various other ventures.

Fast forward to 1955 and the opening of Little Rock Air Force Base, which is located right in the city limits of Jacksonville. They opened their doors in October 1955 and held an open house with 85,000 people attending. Whoa! They also have the largest C-130 base in the world!

For more information, you could always visit the Jacksonville Museum Of Military History.

On with the recipe!

This week I decided to try something I’ve seen several times. When I first saw a recipe for Pineapple Cheeseball/Dip, I thought…NEXT! Then it just kept showing it’s ugly face in book after book. Gah! Okay, I’ll try it.

I popped open, “First Church Of The Nazarene: Jacksonville, Arkansas Ladies Circle” and there it was on the first page.

Couple Things:

1. The ones I had read before were labeled “cheeseball”. My brain registered “cheeseball” and not dip. This recipe will never be a “cheeseball” since it calls for undrained pineapple. It’s for sure a dip.
2. We liked the flavor so much that I tried it with drained pineapple. Cheeseball!
3. I couldn’t find a small can of pineapple (8 Oz). I doubled the recipe and rolled with it.
4. I didn’t know what “red seasoned salt” was. I decided it was Lawrey’s. I wasn’t wrong😎

Y’all this a perfect summer dip/cheeseball. Sweet. Tangy. With a little bit of heat. Yesssssss! You’re gonna love it!