Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball Recipe

A round bacon cheese ball topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, and surrounded by crackers and pita chips for an easy appetizer.

5 from 1 vote

Dip into a Bacon Cheese Ball with a cracker or pretzel, and enjoy every bite of this easy delicious appetizer dip made with simple ingredients and quick prep time. Roll it in crispy bacon crumbles or assorted cheeses. Get creative and add your twist to this bacon ranch cheese ball flavor with one of the dozens of ideas.

Prep Time20

Cook Time8

Total Time28

Course: Appetizers, Dips, & Snacks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bacon cheese ball, cheese ball appetizer, easy appetizer

Servings:

Calories: 148kcal

Author: Lisa Hatfield

Equipment

Ingredients

Cheese Ball Ingredients

2 - 8 ounce boxes cream cheese
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup pepper jack cheese
½ cup crispy crumbled bacon or bacon bits
¼ cup green onions or chives
1 packet ranch seasoning mix
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup sour cream

Cheese Ball Garnish Decorations

½ cup crumbled crispy bacon
1 tablespoon green onions
¼ cup grated cheddar or pepper jack
Serve with crackers, pretzels, or pita chips.

Instructions

Pull the 2 packages of cream cheese out on the kitchen counter at least 30 minutes so they are easier to mix.
Make the crumbled bacon (it's worth the time!) but good bacon bits work great too and save time. Cook bacon the way you like to and crumble, you will need 1 cup for this recipe.
1 pound of sliced bacon makes about 1 ½ cups of crispy crumbled bacon so you will have some extra.
To cook in a large skillet or cast iron pan, slice a package of bacon slices into ½ pieces, and saute over medium heat, stir the chopped bacon pieces with a wooden spoon until crispy. Takes about 12 minutes. Drain the crumbled bacon on a paper towel.
Grate the cheddar cheese and pepper jack on a box grater or food processer. Pregrated cheeses are fine too!
In a large bowl, add the two cream cheese blocks, grated sharp cheddar cheese, pepper jack, crumbled crispy bacon, green onions, ranch seasoning mix, garlic powder, and sour cream. Mix cream cheese mixture with a hand mixer or stir with a large spatula until well combined.
Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula, and place the mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the plastic around tightly, and form a round ball.
Chill on a serving platter or large plate in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
When ready to serve, remove the cheese ball from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Roll in crumbled bacon bits, cheddar cheeses, and or green onions. Serve on a platter with assorted crackers, pretzels, or pita chips.

Video

Notes

bacon

Real bacon is the best, if you buy a 1-pound package of sliced bacon, it will cook down to 1 ½ cups of cooked crumbled bacon. You will need 1 cup for this recipe.

Flavor Variations

Use some ingredients you prefer or have on hand. Here are a few ways to mix things up.

Seasonings: Instead of the Ranch seasoning packet, add a teaspoon of the seasoning salt blend, some Worcestershire sauce, or Everything Bagel Seasoning.

Veggies & Herbs: In place of green onions, add fresh parsley, or some chopped basil and rosemary. Or add some chopped Sun Dried Tomatoes or confetti of chopped colorful bell peppers.

Meats: Add in chopped salami, slice some ham or pepperoni into thin small ribbons.

Nuts: Roll in crushed toasted or Candied Pecans, macadamia nuts, walnuts, or toasted pine nuts.

Good Grated Cheeses: This will make your cheese ball really tasty, add in Monterey jack, parmesan, goat cheese, pecorino romano, white cheddar cheese, or Colby jack.

Cheese Truffle Bites: Use a mini scoop or teaspoon and portion out small scoops formed into little ball shapes, then rolled in chopped herbs, nuts, crushed cracker crumbs, and chopped dried fruit. And it is fun to push a small pretzel stick pushed in for a "grab and go" easy appetizer.

Nutrition