Cheddar bacon ranch cheese ball is easy and made with ingredients you probably have in your house! You can make your own ranch dressing blend or use a packet – it will be delicious either way. Cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, green onions, ranch, and pecans – definitely a crowd pleaser! You’ll be asked to bring it to every party you go to!
I’m so bad at parties. I’m a classic introvert; if you know my chatty side then you know me well or I am very comfortable around you for whatever reason. I do my best to avoid social interactions with people that I don’t know. Parties…parties are the seventh level of hell for me. I am incredibly awkward trying to make small talk with people I don’t know well. It’s ugly.
A few years back a good friend from work and I decided that we were going to go to our staff Christmas party and be social, come hell or high water (this was a few schools back; I’m actually comfortable interacting with all the people I work with now). It was basically my worst nightmare-thank God she was there with me or I might have hidden in the coat closet.
Cheese Ball = Christmas Classic
I don’t remember much about that party except that the teacher who hosted had a beautiful home and that one of the teachers brought an absolutely amazing cheese ball. It had cheddar cheese, Major Grey chutney, and bacon in it, and she brought it to every occasion and gave it as a gift every time she needed to thank someone for something.
I used this opportunity as an excuse to stay near the cheese ball table and only interact with others who came near it. It worked. I need to get her recipe…searching the interwebs has yielded some similar cheese balls but nothing exact.
Cheese balls are such a retro party snack, and I’ve seen them written off as too kitschy for a modern food-lover’s table. Whatever. If you don’t like cheese balls then you just haven’t had the right one. Cheese balls are great holiday appetizers – but I like to eat them as a snacky dinner, too! I was dreaming of a delicious cheese ball with simple, easy to find ingredients when a cheddar bacon ranch cheese ball popped into my head. It was basically perfect.
Cheddar Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball
For this cheddar bacon ranch cheese ball, I make my own ranch dressing mix (based on this ranch dressing mix recipe from Chef in Training) and will list the ingredients that I use in the recipe, but there is no shame in using a packet of ranch dressing mix. I’m just 1000% more likely to have all the dried herbs and spices I need than I am to have a dressing packet, and usually I have every single ingredient necessary to make this cheese ball at a moment’s notice.
And, if you are like me and have certain staples you keep around at all times, there’s a good chance that you have all the things for this cheese ball:
- cream cheese
- cheddar cheese
- bacon
- ranch mix
- green onions
- pecans
Easy Holiday Appetizer!
This cheddar bacon ranch cheese ball is so easy to make. It’s literally just:
- Stir everything together
- Roll it into a ball
- Roll it in pecans
- Refrigerate
- Eat
This cheese ball is the perfect appetizer for your Christmas party, and if I ever encounter this cheese ball at a party…I will totally be hanging out by the food table. #gimmeallthecheeseball
10 minPrep Time:
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- 8 strips bacon - cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions (4-6 green onions)
- 1 recipe homemade ranch dressing mix (recipe below) or 2 envelopes storebought ranch dressing mix
- 1 cup pecans - chopped
- 3 tablespoons dry parsley
- 1 tablespoon dry dill weed
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- If making your own ranch dressing mix, pulse all ingredients together in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, it's fine to just stir the ingredients together, but it will have a little more texture.
- Combine the first five ingredients until well mixed using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon.
- Form the mixture into a ball. Roll in the chopped pecans to thoroughly coat the outside.
- Place the cheese ball on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve with crackers or pita chips.
Notes
Prep time does not include time to cook bacon or make ranch dressing mix. If you would like to make a smaller cheese ball, just half the ingredients (the cheese ball pictured here is actually a half recipe).
Other cheese balls on Chattavore:
Reuben Cheese Ball
Jalapeño Popper Cheese Ball
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