COOK: Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball (with Horseradish, Ranch, or Chipotle)
- Serving Suggestions & Pairings
- Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball Ingredients
- Kitchen Equipment Needed
- How to Make a Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball
- Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball with Horseradish, Ranch, or Chipotle
This bacon cheddar cheese ball recipe is incredibly easy to whip up from scratch and sure to be a hit at your next party! It’s packed with smoky bacon, a nutty crunch, and your choice of either sharp horseradish, zesty ranch, or spicy chipotle flavor… or make a big batch and try all three versions!
Speckled with toasted walnuts, crunchy bacon bits and flecks of fresh green parsley, this homemade cheddar cheese ball makes a perfect fall or winter appetizer, snack, or breakfast treat. Take them tailgating… they’re perfect for a Super Bowl party buffet!
This is an easy one-bowl recipe that you can mix by hand (or even faster with a food processor or mixer) in less than thirty minutes! It’s made with wholesome, simple ingredients that are kid-friendly but elegant enough to wow your friends.
Serving Suggestions & Pairings
This bacon cheddar cheese ball makes a great centerpiece for a cheese board or holiday relish tray. It’s a perfect nibble while you’re sipping drinks and socializing, or kicking back and watching the big game.
You can also wrap these up in some plastic wrap or wrapped paper, and keep this in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container for handy snacking.
Serve it on small platter or decorative tray, with a cheese knife, butter knife, or small spreader, and an assortment of sturdy dip-able snacks:
- plain or flavored crackers or crispy oatcakes
- sesame flax seed crackers
- rye or multigrain crispbread (knekkebrød)
- sliced sourdough or multi-grain bread
- pretzels or pretzel chips
- bagels or bagel chips
- tortilla chips
- pita bread or pita chips
- fresh or toasted baguette slices
- celery and carrot sticks
- fresh apple or pear slices (dunk slices in water with lemon juice or a pinch of vitamin c powder so they don’t brown)
- dried apple, mango, or other fruit slices
Baked Bacon Cheese Ball in Croûte
- For something even more decadent, try baking the cheese ball in a puff pastry crust!
- Slightly flatten the cheese ball (roughly to the dimensions of a wheel of brie), then lightly freeze or chill it very cold.
- Then, wrap it in a sheet of puff pastry or a flaky pie crust, and bake it in a moderate oven (350F) just until the crust is light golden brown.
- Brush the crust with an egg wash first, and decorate with shaped cut-outs of extra dough, for an extra fancy appetizer!
- Let cool slightly, then serve wedges of this warm, smoky, bacon cheese ball with a tossed green salad or veggie crudites for a first course that’s sure to impress!
Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball Ingredients
Cream Cheese:
I use an 8 oz block of full-fat cream cheese when I make this cheese ball recipe. You can substitute low-fat Neufchâtel cheese if you prefer, though the ball may not be as creamy or as rich, as the Neufchâtel has a grainier texture than cream cheese.
If you are using a food processor, you can use the cream cheese while it’s still quite cold, although if you’re making it by hand, you’ll want to leave the block of wrapped cheese out for up to two hours at room temperature, or unwrap it and soften it carefully in the microwave for a few seconds to make it easier to mix.
Sharp Cheddar Cheese:
You’ll want two ounces of grated sharp cheddar cheese (1/4 of an 8 oz block, or about a heaping half cup pre-grated if you don’t have a scale). I prefer using orange cheddar in this cheese ball, though you could substitute white sharp cheddar if you prefer.
Bacon:
Sauteed and crumbled bacon pieces add a bit of crunch and of course, delicious smoky bacon flavor to this cheese ball. You could crumble or chop whole cooked slices of bacon, but I prefer to dice the bacon first, then cook and drain the pieces. Save the bacon fat in the fridge for other recipes.
Walnuts:
The cheese ball is rolled in finely minced walnuts and bacon, and has more walnuts folded in. The nuts will be a lot tastier if you lightly toast them before chopping… you can do this in a heavy pan on the stovetop, or on a baking sheet in the oven at moderate heat (300-400F is fine as long as you keep an eye on them!).
Heat the nuts just until they have a bit of a sheen or are slightly beginning to change color and are fragrant. Don’t burn them though, and remove them from the pan as soon as they’re done toasting or they’ll continue to cook. Burnt nuts are bitter, so err on the side of a light toast. Let them cool before mixing into the cheese ball.
Worcestershire Sauce:
There’s a hint of Worcestershire sauce in the base recipe, that adds complexity and a bit of salty tang.
Most Worcestershire sauces have anchovy, but you can buy vegetarian/vegan versions if the trace amount of fish is a dietary or allergen concern for your guests. Check the ingredient label if this matters to you!
Seasonings:
Washed, dried, and chopped fresh parsley adds brightness and a green accent, and just a hint of freshly ground black pepper adds complexity.
The three variations to the basic bacon & cheddar cheeseball recipe use grated fresh or processed horseradish root, ranch powder and dill, or pureed/minced chipotle in adobo sauce with cumin and cilantro.
Kitchen Equipment Needed
Food processor, mixer, or bowl & sturdy spoon:
A food processor makes throwing these cheese ball recipes together an almost effortless and easy job, but a stand mixer with a paddle attachment will also work. You can mix it by hand too, though that takes a bit more time and muscle!
If you are using a food processor, make sure you finely chop the nuts and bacon for the garnish first, and set those aside before beginning to mix the cheese ball. I chop the parsley by hand, though you could pulse that in the processor too after doing the garnish and before adding the rest of the cheese ball ingredients.
If you don’t have or aren’t using a food processor, you can definitely make this completely by hand too with a cutting board and a chef’s knife for the chopping, and a mixing bowl and spoon or spatula, or a handheld mixer or stand mixer and paddle attachment to mix it all up.
Plastic wrap, or parchment/waxed paper:
To form the cheese ball, it’s easiest and neatest to use plastic wrap. If you don’t want to use plastic, you can use parchment or waxed paper, though you may want to form it into a log shape instead of a ball, since it’s easier to roll the paper into a cylinder than a sphere. Up to you!
How to Make a Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball
prep ingredients:
- Toast the walnuts in a pan on low heat or a tray in a medium-hot oven, shaking or stirring the pan frequently and removing the pan from the heat when the walnuts have an oily sheen and are fragrant. If you leave the nuts in the pan, they’re likely to burn, since the pan is still hot.
- Crush or finely chop the portions of the nuts and bacon to be used for the outer garnish and set aside (you can pulse them in the food processor or use a knife and cutting board to mince them into crumbs).
- Wash, pat dry, and mince the fresh parsley. If you are making the chipotle cheese ball variation, mince the chipotle peppers into a paste along with the adobo sauce, or blend them first in the food processor.
- Juice and remove seeds from about half a lemon, or measure out 1 tbsp. bottled lemon juice.
blend the cheese ball:
- Add all of the ingredients to the food processor or mixing bowl (except for the finely chopped nuts and bacon that you reserved for the garnish).
- If you’d like the cheese ball to have larger pieces of nuts and bacon bits, pulse the cheeses and seasonings until they’re somewhat mixed first before adding the fried bacon and toasted walnut pieces.
- For a finer texture that is more uniform, add all ingredients together at the beginning.
- Pulse the food processor until all ingredients are well combined. Stop and scrape down the bowl with a flexible spatula to help mix everything without turning the mixture into a smooth puree.
shape and garnish:
- Lay a rectangle of plastic wrap or parchment/waxed paper out on a clean, flat work surface.
- Sprinkle just over half of the reserved finely chopped nuts and cranberries in an even layer near the center.
- Using a flexible spatula, scoop the cheese ball mixture out of the mixing or food processor bowl and onto the chopped nuts.
- To form a ball, make a single mound in the center of the plastic wrap.
- To shape a log, scoop the mixture out in a line that you can round off to a cylinder.
- Sprinkle most of the remaining nut mixture on top, reserving a few to fill in any bare patches.
- Using the plastic wrap or paper, bring the cheese together into a smooth ball or roll into a log, gently pulling it tight and smoothing out any lumps or bumps.
chill before serving:
- While you can serve your bacon cheddar walnut cheese ball immediately, the flavor and texture are better if you give it time to chill first.
- Until chilling, the cheese “ball” is mostly just a cheese spread… which is also good, but won’t hold it’s shape.
- Chilling the cheese ball will let it firm up and give the flavors time to combine and meld, and set up into a spreadable soft cheese.
- It’s best to chill it for at least an hour or two, though you can make it well ahead of time if you prefer!
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
You can serve any of these bacon cheddar cheese balls right away, though it will be soft. However, they’re actually better if you make and chill them at least an hour or two ahead.
This lets the cheese firm up into a dense spread, and lets the flavors come together. But making it in advance is especially great if you’re trying to get ahead on holiday party preparations. You can refrigerate any of these cheese balls, well-wrapped, for up to a week.
To make your holiday party planning easier, you can batch prep a few of these the weekend before Thanksgiving. Scale up the recipe to whatever size you like (or will fit in your food processor). Wrap and chill one in the fridge for an easy Thanksgiving appetizer, and put another one or two in the freezer for your Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, and New Year’s parties.
Freezing Instructions
To freeze, wrap it tightly in cling-film and then freeze it in an air-tight container or zip-lock freezer bag for up to three months. The texture may be slightly more crumbly after thawing if it is frozen, but the flavor is still great and it should still be spreadable and delicious.
It’s best to move the cheese ball from the freezer to the fridge to thaw slowly at least 8 hours or so before you need to serve it, though you can try carefully defrosting it faster using a very low-power setting on your microwave.
It’s a great way to keep one of these hand so you’ll always be ready for unexpected company, last-minute potluck invites, or late-night snack emergencies!
Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball with Horseradish, Ranch, or Chipotle
Equipment
- food processor (optional but helpful)
Ingredients
Bacon Cheddar Walnut Cheese Ball (base recipe)
- 8 oz cream cheese, slightly softened
- 2 oz sharp or extra sharp cheddar, grated
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup cooked bacon (pieces or rough chopped) (2-4 slices of thick or thin sliced bacon)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper (preferably freshly ground)
Bacon Cheddar Horseradish Cheese Ball
- 2-3 tbsp grated fresh or processed horseradish
Bacon Cheddar Ranch Cheese Ball
- 2 tbsp ranch dressing mix
- 1 tsp dried dill leaf substitute 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Bacon Chipotle Cheddar Cheese Ball
- 2-3 tbsp finely minced or pureed chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 2 tbsp cilantro (optional)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
Garnish
- ⅓ cup minced or crushed walnuts
- 2 tbsp crumbled crispy bacon or bacon bits finely chopped
Instructions
prep ingredients:
- Toast the walnuts in a pan on low heat or a tray in a medium-hot oven, shaking or stirring the pan frequently and removing the pan from the heat when the walnuts have an oily sheen and are fragrant. If you leave the nuts in the pan, they’re likely to burn, since the pan is still hot.
- Dice and saute the bacon until crispy, and drain. Save bacon fat for other recipes.
- Crush or finely chop the portions of the nuts and bacon to be used for the outer garnish and set aside (you can pulse them in the food processor or use a knife and cutting board).
- Wash, pat dry, and mince the fresh parsley (and cilantro for the chipotle cheese ball if you are using it, or fresh dill for the ranch one).
- Measure out the other seasoning ingredients, and juice the lemon if you are using fresh lemon juice.
blend the cheese ball:
- Add the all ingredients to the food processor or mixing bowl (except for the finely minced nuts and bacon for the garnish).
- If you'd like the cheese ball to have larger pieces of nuts and bacon, pulse the cheeses and seasonings a bit first before adding the bacon bits and walnut pieces. For a finer texture, add all ingredients together at the beginning.
- Pulse the food processor until all ingredients are well combined. Stop and scrape down the bowl with a flexible spatula to help mix everything without turning the mixture into a smooth puree.
shape and garnish:
- Lay a rectangle of plastic wrap or parchment/waxed paper out on a clean, flat work surface.
- Sprinkle just over half of the reserved finely chopped nuts and bacon in an even layer near the center.
- Using a flexible spatula, scoop the cheese ball mixture out of the mixing or food processor bowl and onto the chopped nuts.
- To form a ball, make a single mound in the center of the plastic wrap.
- To shape a log, scoop the mixture out in a line that you can round off to a cylinder.
- Sprinkle most of the remaining nut mixture on top, reserving a few to fill in any bare patches.
- Using the plastic wrap or paper, bring the cheese together into a smooth ball or roll into a log, gently pulling it tight and smoothing out any lumps or bumps.
chill before serving:
- While you can serve your bacon cheddar walnut cheese balls immediately, the flavor and texture are better if you let them chill first.
- Chilling the cheese ball will let it firm up and give the flavors time to combine and meld.
- It's best to chill it for at least an hour or two, though you can make it well ahead of time if you prefer! You can also wrap these well in a double layer of plastic wrap and then foil or a plastic freezer bag, and freeze for up to a month. The defrosted cheese balls may be a bit crumbly compared to freshly made, but still quite delicious!
Notes
Nutrition
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