on Oct 14, 2024 14 Comments This easy cheeseball recipe has to be one of my absolute favorite things! I originally published this recipe in 2012. It has been a favorite for sure. I love that it is so easy to whip together and makes a wonderful make-ahead recipe for serving on game day, throughout the holidays, and any time you are entertaining or crave something easy, savory, and scrumptious! Filled with the perfect combination of savory flavors – cheese, crispy bacon, green onions, homemade ranch seasoning, and then all encased in crunchy pecans, this cheese ball is most definitely a winner! It’s just a perfect, quick and easy cheese ball that everyone loves! It is a crowd-pleaser!
How to Make Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information. For this easy appetizer recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Cream Cheese – You’ll want to soften your cream cheese so that it is creamy and combines very easily with the other ingredients. It makes all the difference! Cheddar Cheese – I like to shred my cheese from a block for recipes like this. I believe they blend more easily. If you use pre-shredded, look for one with minimal ingredients so the cheese blends and melts easily. Stone House Seasoning – My favorite blend of seasonings that I always use! It is a simple combination of salt, pepper, and garlic. Ranch Seasoning – I make my own ranch seasoning mix, but you can use store-bought. Green Onions that have been sliced. They add so much flavor and crunch to the cheeseball. Pecans – The chilled cheese ball is rolled in the roughly chopped pecans for a gorgeous presentation. If you do not prefer to use pecans, you can also use additional crumbled bacon, pretzels, and/ or green onions instead.
Instructions
Combine. Add softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, Ranch Seasoning, and Stone House Seasoning to a large bowl. For this, you can use an electric mixer or mix with a spoon until well combined. Once combined, stir in the bacon and green onion until well distributed. Chill. Turn the cheese mixture onto a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap and form into a ball. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. As the cheese ball is chilling, chop your pecans for the next step. Roll. Once your cheese ball has chilled, remove it from the plastic wrapping and roll in the chopped pecans, making sure to lightly press the pecans into the cheese ball to secure them. Serve. Place your cheese ball on a serving platter. Add a small cheese knife, along with your favorite crackers, pita chips, and fruit for serving.
Make Ahead Instructions
Prepare the cheese ball, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remove from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving to allow it to come to room temperature.
Storage Tips
To store. Place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze. Prepare as directed, wrap in plastic wrap, and place into a freezer-safe, zip-top bag. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To serve from frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, allow to reach room temperature for serving.
Bacon Ranch Cheese Dip
You can also make this recipe as a dip! Add 1/4 cup sour cream to the cream cheese mixture. Skip rolling the recipe into a ball and simply stir the chopped pecans into the cream cheese mixture. Transfer to a small bowl and serve with crackers, pretzels, pita chips, fruit, or even veggies like celery and carrot sticks! Here’s my Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball Recipe! I hope you love it as much as we do! Enjoy! Robyn xo
