BACON RANCH CHEESE BALL

Bacon, ranch flavor, green onions, cheddar cheese, and crunchy pecans come together in this amazing cheese ball!  It is my absolute favorite and most popular cheeseball on the site and will be a hit wherever it goes!

I made this cheeseball the first year that I was blogging.  It quickly became the most popular cheeseball on my site and is my absolute favorite.   Needless to say, the picture was in need of a makeover. 🙂

December is full of holiday parties and get togethers.  And in my opinion, cheeseballs are a must at any gathering!  They are delicious and so simple to make.   This cheeseball has so many amazing flavors combined.   Ranch flavor, green onions, cheddar cheese, and crunchy pecans.  And don’t forget the bacon.  Bacon makes everything better and adds such great flavor!

The year that I made this, I was looking for a fun new neighbor gift idea.  I decided to divide the cheeseball up and give them to my neighbors with some crackers.  It was a huge hit.  My dad loved it so much that he made me come and make some for his neighbors.  Man, the perks of having your daughter be The Recipe Critic! 😉

I know that you will enjoy this recipe just as much as our families and neighbors did!  You can’t ever go wring with such a delicious flavor combination!  People will be asking you for the recipe and it is sure to be a huge hit!

This is definitely a five star cheeseball in my book!

Bacon, ranch flavor, green onions, cheddar cheese, and crunchy pecans come together in this amazing cheese ball! It is my absolute favorite and most popular cheeseball on the site and will be a hit wherever it goes!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (8 oz each) packages cream cheese
• 1 (1 oz.) packet dry buttermilk ranch dressing mix
• ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
• ¼ cup green onion, thinly sliced
• 6 pieces of bacon, fried and crumbled
• ¼ cup chopped black olives, optional
• 1 cup pecans or almonds, finely chopped for coating

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix together the cream cheese and dry ranch packet. I put mine in the mixer and used the paddle attatchment. That made it so easy. Otherwise, mix in a bowl until smooth.
2. Add the cheese, onions, olive if using and bacon. If you are short on time, buy the real bacon bits and add about a ½ cup.
3. Shape into a ball. Roll it in the nuts to coat the outside. You can make one big ball or two smaller ones.
4. Keep it stored in the refrigerator.

NOTES

The first time that I made this recipe I used almonds. But since I only had pecans on hand I used them. Feel free to use whichever you would like! I also forgot the sliced olives (again!) but that would be a yummy addition as well! 

Recipe adapted from Awesome Recipes

recipes adapted by  : therecipecritic.com