One day I was cruising through one of our grocery stores in town and noticed a prepackaged cheese ball in one of the displays. I quickly investigated the cheese ball, and thought to myself, how boring. The ingredients were basically cream cheese and nuts. Â It was confirmed, boring. So after some quick thought into the matter, and having to attend a holiday party that weekend, I decided that I would give that classic, boring cheese ball a lift in ingredients and make it amazing. A cheese ball that people would talk about.
This upgraded bacon cheese ball is something that is not only good for a holiday party, but something that is really good any day of the week and can hold its own as leftovers. I’m now curious if it would be great as a grilled cheese sandwich, and I am sure I will give that a shot the next time I make this bacon cheese ball.
Ingredients: [Print this Recipe]
- 8 oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, finely diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, finely diced
- 8 pieces of your favorite bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup of red onion, minced
- 1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
- 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
- pinch of black pepper
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup of toasted walnuts, finely chopped
- Pita chips
Begin by adding everything but the walnuts and a few tablespoons of the jalapeno and red bell peppers to a mixing bowl. Add the remaining peppers and walnuts to a plate, and mix that up a bit. Now, to the cheese mixture. Â Mix everything to incorporate all of the ingredients into the cheese. Shape into a ball.
Take the cheese ball and roll it around on the plate, coating it with the peppers and walnuts. Place this on a serving plate, cover with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.
When you are ready to serve, place a knife into the bacon cheese ball, line the perimeter of the ball with pita chips, and dig in.
Every bite is just loaded with huge flavor. Sweet, smokey, spicy, and creamy, this cheese ball just trumped the boring old classic.
As a side note, this cheese ball ended up being something that my wife and family members love. Could it be the bacon, or could it the cheese? Whatever the case, it is pretty awesome. Hope you enjoy.