Bring serious game-day energy to your table with this football-shaped cheese ball. It’s a bold, creamy, bacon-loaded crowd-pleaser made with softened cream cheese, sharp cheddar, ranch and taco seasoning. Shape it into a football, then coat it with crispy bacon for the finishing touch. Serve with crackers, pretzels or tortilla chips, and watch it disappear before halftime. —Elise Jesse, Cincinnati, Ohio
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bacon strips
- 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped finely
- 4-1/2 teaspoons ranch seasoning
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- String cheese, for garnish
- Assorted crackers, for serving
Directions
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1Preheat oven to 400°. Place bacon onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until bacon is crisp, 15-20 minutes. Let cool. Crumble into small pieces.
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2Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar, jalapeno, ranch and taco seasonings. Shape into a football-shaped ball.
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3Roll the ball in the crumbled bacon until the outside is covered. Cut string cheese into laces, place over cheese ball.
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4Serve on a platter with assorted crackers, as desired.
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