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bacon ranch cheese ball with crackers around
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Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball

This Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball is loaded with flavor, super easy to make, feeds a crowd, and it's best made ahead so it's party perfect.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword bacon cheese ball recipes, cheese appetizers, cheese ball recipes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 20 servings
Calories
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

  • 2 (8 oz.) bricks cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 (1 oz.) package Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup Pepper Jack cheese, finely grated
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese finely grated
  • 6 slices bacon cooked and finely diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup toasted pecans finely chopped

Topping

  • 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese, finely grated
  • 2 slices bacon, finely grated
  • 1 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pecans, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Instructions

Make The Cheese Ball

  • In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese (2 bricks), sour cream (1/4 cup), Worcestershire sauce (1 teaspoon), ranch seasoning (1 package), garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon), pepper jack cheese (1/2 cup), cheddar cheese (1 cup), bacon (4 slices), green onions (1/4 cup), pecans (1/2 cup) and mix until well until evenly combined.
  • Place the mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap, tightly wrap and form it into a ball. Place in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours, overnight being best.

Topping

  • In a medium mixing bowl, mix all the topping ingredients until evenly combined.
  • Line a rimmed baking dish with parchment paper and spread the topping out into a single layer. Unwrap the plastic wrap from the cheese ball. Roll the cheese ball, pressing to help it stick, in the topping until it's evenly covered with topping ingredients. Serve.

Notes

  1. Fresh Cheese: Don’t use the pre-shredded cheese for this recipe. Grate it off the block. It will have much better flavor and the correct texture.
  2. Box Grater: I like to use the fine holes on the box grater. If you use the larger holes the cheese is too thick and chunky. The finer grate integrates better into a cohesive mixture.
  3. Refrigerate: I like to make this at least a day ahead of when I’m serving it. The flavors marry and develop better than if you only refrigerate it for a couple of hours. It’s really a lot better after the extended refrigeration.
  4. Cream Cheese: Make sure it’s at room temperature. It still mixes better and won’t get little chunks of cream cheese in the finished cheese ball.
  5. Bacon: If you don’t want to cook the bacon you can use bacon bits. They often aren’t chopped into small enough pieces for this recipe. Just run your knife through them to get a finer chop
  6. Toast Pecans: Toasting pecans improves their texture and flavor. Don’t skip this. Here’s how:
    • Heat a skillet on a stovetop.
    • Pour the nuts into the skillet in a single layer.
    • Allow the nuts to sit, undisturbed for about 10 seconds.
    • Flip them over. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  7. Make Mini’s: Use a small cookie scoop, roll in the topping, and stick in a straight pretzel. Et voila, the cheese ball becomes finger food!