Cracked Out Cheese Ball – easy cheese ball recipe loaded with cheddar, bacon, and ranch. I am addicted to this cheese ball. I took this to a party and everyone raved about it! Super easy to make with only 5 ingredients. Can make ahead of time and refrigerate up to 2 weeks! Great for parties, potlucks, baby showers, tailgates, and holiday snacking! #lowcarb #glutenfree #ketofriendly #appetizer #partyfood #snack
Easy Cheese Ball with Bacon & Ranch
Stop what you are doing and make this cheese ball! It is AMAZING! I might have eaten the whole thing by myself. Well, almost by myself. I shared a little with Chicken Legs and he LOVED it too! This is super easy to make and even easier to eat. I always make one of these cheese balls at the holidays to snack on while I’m wrapping presents and baking cookies.
How to Make Cracked Out Cheese Ball
This appetizer is super easy to make. Combine softened cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cooked bacon, and ranch dressing mix. Shape the mixture into a ball and roll in chopped pecans. Cover the cheese ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate a few hours before serving.
- This can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. If making ahead, I suggest coating the cheese ball in nuts right before serving.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of ranch dressing to your personal preference.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-ranch-dressing-mix/
- Can use low-fat cream cheese and turkey bacon to cut down on the calories.
- Is Cracked Out Cheese Ball low-carb? Yes! All of the ingredients in the cheese ball are low-carb.
- Is Cracked Out Cheese Ball gluten-free? Yes! All of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten-free.
- Store the cheese ball in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap and in an air-tight container or ziplock bag for up to 2 weeks.
- To freeze the cheese ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap without the nuts. Place the cheese ball in a freezer bag and freeze up to a month. When ready to serve, thaw and roll in nuts before serving.
What to Serve with a Cheese Ball
This is one of my all-time favorite appetizers. I always have the ingredients on hand to make one at a moments notice. This is great for parties, potlucks, tailgating, and holiday snacking. We usually serve this with some crackers or celery sticks. It is also great with some pita chips, mini bagels, or pretzels.
No party is complete with only one appetizer. Here are a few more of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this bacon & ranch cheese ball:
Cream Cheese Sausage Balls – Football Friday
Cream Cheese Sausage Balls – this recipe will change the way you make sausage ball forever! Seriously THE BEST sausage…
Fire Crackerz {Football Friday}
Fire Crackerz – spicy Cheez-Its – coated in red pepper flakes and Ranch dressing – SO addictive! Great for parties!…
Easy Pigs in a Blanket (3-Ingredients)
Pigs in a Blanket – I can’t eat just one! Only 3 ingredients and ready to eat in 15 minutes!…
Hissy Fit Dip {Football Friday}
Hissy Fit Dip Recipe – sausage, sour cream, Velveeta, muenster, onion and garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and parsley – SO good.…
Cracked Out Cheese Ball
Ingredients:
- 2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 (1-oz) package Ranch dressing mix
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Âľ cup cooked chopped bacon
- â…” cup chopped pecans
Instructions:
- Combine cream cheese, Ranch mix, cheddar cheese and bacon.
- Divide cheese mixture in half. Shape each half into a ball. (Can make one large ball if you prefer.)
- Roll each ball into chopped pecans. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes:
- This can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. If making ahead, I suggest coating the cheese ball in nuts right before serving.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of ranch dressing to your personal preference.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-ranch-dressing-mix/
- Can use low-fat cream cheese and turkey bacon to cut down on the calories.
- Is Cracked Out Cheese Ball low-carb? Yes! All of the ingredients in the cheese ball are low-carb.
- Is Cracked Out Cheese Ball gluten-free? Yes! All of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten-free.
- Store the cheese ball in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap and in an air-tight container or ziplock bag for up to 2 weeks.
- To freeze the cheese ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap without the nuts. Place the cheese ball in a freezer bag and freeze up to a month. When ready to serve, thaw and roll in nuts before serving.
Steph
Is the green on top parsley?
yes – dried parsley.
I had this at a Christmas party last week and couldn't stop eating it, but the platter eventually ran out of crackers…. So I am making it for my little family New Year's Party. 🙂
You sound like me! I have no self control around this cheese ball! So glad to hear you enjoyed it.
War Eagle!
This looks SO good! Thanks for sharing.