I have a confession. I stood up an important lunch date this week so that I could hurry home and get to the bacon jalapeno cheese ball waiting in the fridge. There I said it! Is that wrong? Yeah, I feel kinda bad about it, but once you taste this bacon jalapeno cheese ball you’ll soon be lost in its salty, spicy, smoky, cheesy goodness as well and totally understand.
I like to dice up my ingredients really small so that you don’t see big chunks but you surely taste it. This cheese ball is bursting with flavor, yet still smooth and creamy. I initially made this for my husband because he claims to hate cheese balls and I just so happen to be a pro at changing his mind about foods. Since he loves bacon and jalapenos I was excited to try a combination of Cracker Barrel’s jalapeno white cheddar cheese paired with their smooth & creamy, award-winning sharp cheddar cheese. It just sounded like a winning duo and man was I right!
I double dog dare you to just take one bite and walk away. I’ve used Cracker Barrel‘s affordable, premium quality cheeses in the past for cheese dips and got rave reviews. I knew that the richness of the cheeses would make for one heck of a cheese ball. With that said I have another confession. Well…here’s the thing. My husband didn’t actually get a chance to try it out because I ate it. All of it. I swear I didn’t mean to though.
I served this bacon jalapeno cheese ball on baked black pepper & sea salt flatbread crackers brushed lightly with olive oil and sprinkled with parsley. The minute I got home I slung my purse on the table, kicked off my heels and made a b-line to the refrigerator. My intentions were to only eat a little bit but before I knew it almost half of the cheese ball was gone. After that I kinda purposely forgot to tell him I made it and finished off the rest throughout the week. I think I’m ok with letting him think he doesn’t like cheese balls for a while. I know, judge me if you must, but first go grab some Cracker Barrel cheese because April 17th in National Cheese Ball Day! You totally have a free pass to pig out on this addictive bacon jalapeno cheese ball recipe. God-speed!
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup Cracker Barrel red & green jalapeño cheese, finely shredded
- ½ cup Cracker Barrel sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tablespoon onions, finely minced
- 1 small jalapeño, minced
- 2 strips smoked bacon, cooked and diced
- ½ cup pecans, chopped and toasted
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
- Stir in the jalapeno cheese and sharp cheddar cheese until combined.
- Mix in the other ingredient except for the pecans.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
- Oil your hands and form the cheese mixture into a ball.
- Place the pecans on a plate and sprinkle them over the cheese ball until completely covered. You may need to press them into the cheese ball a bit.
- Wrap the cheese ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight so the flavors have a chance to combine.
- Serve with crackers, carrots, celery or pita chips.
— Monique Kilgore
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