I am not a fan of football, but I know that the Super Bowl is
coming, and that means lots and lots of party food. I also know that, back in
my day, a party wasn’t a party without a cheese ball. This “ultimate” cheese
ball is the best one that I have ever had. I tweaked it a tiny bit, and trust
me when I tell you this is cheese ball perfection. You’ll want to have this at
your next casual gathering.
The Ultimate Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball
Slightly adapted from thechunkychef.com
16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 T. sour cream
1 oz. pkg. (3 T.) ranch dressing mix
¾ t. garlic powder
½ t. dried minced onion
¼ t. kosher salt
¼ t. black pepper
½ t. Worcestershire sauce
1 ¼ c. grated cheddar cheese (divided)
½ c. grated pepper jack cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (divided)
1/3 c. chopped green onions (divided)
2/3 c. chopped toasted pecans
1 t. poppy seeds
MAKE THE CHEESE BALL
In a large mixing bowl place cream cheese, sour cream, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, minced onion, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire. Beat until combined. Add 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, all of the pepper jack cheese, half of the bacon, and half the green onions. Stir until mixed. Lay out a large sheet of plastic wrap and drop cream cheese mixture onto it. Cover tightly on all sides, and shape into a ball shape. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight, until firm.
MAKE THE OUTER COATING
Add remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, remaining bacon, and green onions to a small mixing bowl. Stir in poppy seeds and refrigerate alongside the cheese ball. Before rolling the cheese ball, add pecans and stir well.
BEFORE SERVING
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread out the outer coating in an even layer. Remove plastic wrap and roll cheese ball in coating, making sure all sides are coated. You may have to pick up some of the coating and press it so it sticks. Serve immediately, or cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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This looks sinfully good!
ReplyDeleteI love every single thing in this recipe. When I told my husband about this recipe, he said he wasn't sure he cared for cheeseballs. Hah! I had to remind him we used to see cheese balls at every party we went to and he always chunked off a generous portion. We are adding this to our Super Bowl appys menu. And we don't care for the game, just the appys. ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's not a party without a cheeseball! My mom used to serve one at our Christmas Eve open house, and I always looked forward to it. But I've never seen one like this! Bacon and football-shaped crackers make it the MVP of the buffet. ๐ง๐ฅ๐ง ๐ฟ๐
ReplyDelete