The Daring Gourmet

Grappling Each Dish By The Horns

Sign up for our newsletter!
No SPAM. Ever.Check out our privacy policy
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
  • Shop

Home Ā» Food Ā» By Country or Region Ā» North America Ā» America Ā» Bacon, Blue Cheese, Cranberry Cheese Ball with Pecans

Bacon, Blue Cheese, Cranberry Cheese Ball with Pecans

December 22, 2015 by Kimberly Killebrew Ā· 36 Comments

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure policy.

6920 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Thank you to Food Should Taste Good for sponsoring this post!

This Bacon, Blue Cheese, Cranberry Cheese Ball with Pecans is guaranteed to be a hit at your next get-together!Ā  Savory, sweet, salty and PACKED with FLAVOR, it’s simply irresistible!

cheese ball recipe bacon blue cheese pecans cranberries

Bacon, Blue Cheese and Cranberry Cheese Ball with Pecans

The cheese ball needs to make a comeback.Ā  But not as a repetition of history.

No, the cheese balls of yesteryear deservedly earned a bad rap. Ā You know the ones: Ā A mass of sticky artificial orange industrial goo (ie, Velveeta) squished into a ball, rolled in some nuts and served with crackers. Ā  By the time this round object masquerading as cheese had been sitting at room temperature for 37 minutes it became so unappetizing in appearance that the party guests began drifting further and further away from the table.Ā  Yes, that’s the one.Ā  That cheese ball needs to make a permanent exit.

Fortunately in recent years cream cheese has taken the place of the unidentifiable orange stuff. Ā Its tangy, neutral flavor is the perfect baseĀ for any number of fun flavor combinations.

I think I’ve only ever made a grand total of four cheese balls in my life. Ā  But this one has led me to an irrevocable decision: Cheese balls need to make a regular appearance in my home. Ā They’re just too good not to.

cheese ball recipe bacon blue cheese pecans cranberries

Today’s cheeseball features the Christmas colors of red, white and green in the form of smoky bacon, sweet dried cranberries, cream cheese and green onions and those flavors accompanied by Cheddar cheese, pecans and kicked up several flavor notches with blue cheese. Ā It’s delicious!

Even our 3 year old daughter thought so because within the course of 10 minutes she made no less than 12 trips back to the plate to reload.

You already know we’re fans of Food Should Taste GoodĀ chips for a number of reasons (they’re all-natural, certified gluten-free, vegan and kosher. Ā No MSG, no GMO’s and made with simple, wholesome ingredients). Ā For this cheese ball I wanted to try their sea-salted brown rice crackers (for my GF readers, they’re gluten free) and I opened up a box. Ā Our kids both went toĀ town on them, scooping up the cheese ball. Ā By the time they had their fill of everythingĀ my husband and I stared at the few remaining morsels. Ā “I’ll make another one,” I announced. Ā And I did. Ā And it won’t be the last.

Cheese-Ball-prep-5

Super easy to make, you can shape this into a cheese ball or into a log or any design you heart desires. Ā Either way, it’s going to be a hit!

For best results just be sure to let the cheese ball sit in the fridge for at least a few hours so the flavor have time to meld.

cheese ball recipe bacon blue cheese pecans cranberries

Let’s get started!

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Cheese-Ball-prep-1

Stir or knead together until thoroughly combined.

Cheese-Ball-prep-2

Shape into a ball (or log if preferred) and wrap in plastic wrap. Ā Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 2 days.

Cheese-Ball-prep-3

Toss the outer layer ingredients to combine and spread them out on a plate. Ā Roll the ball in them to even coat the outer layer.

Cheese-Ball-prep-4

cheese ball recipe bacon blue cheese pecans cranberries

Serve with crackers and enjoy!

cheese ball recipe bacon blue cheese pecans cranberries

 

PIN ME!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/461196818093129569/

For another tasty party treat be sure to try our Neiman Marcus Dip (aka “Million Dollar Dip”)!

neiman marcus dip

 

Bacon, Blue Cheese and Cranberry Cheese Ball with Pecans

Kimberly Killebrew
Print Recipe
5 from 13 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 368 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces cream cheese ,softened at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 4 strips thick-cut bacon ,cooked and crumbled
  • 2 green onions ,sliced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped pecans
  • 3 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries
  • For the outer layer:
  • 2 green onions ,sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons crumbled bacon
  • crackers of choice for serving (we used Food Should Taste Good Brown Rice Crackers)

Instructions
 

  • Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir or knead together until thoroughly combined. Form the mass into a ball or log (whichever shape desired) and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 2 days.
  • Toss the outer layer ingredients together and spread them out on a plate. Roll the cheese ball in them to evenly coat the surface.
  • Serve with crackers.

Nutrition

Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 734IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword Cheese Ball
Tried this recipe? Mention @daringgourmet or hashtag #daringgourmet

cheese bacon pecans cranberries party snack appetizer

A special thank you to Food Should Taste Good for sponsoring this post! Ā As always, all opinions are entirely my own.

6920 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

36 Comments →

« BEST Authentic Pfeffernüsse
French Entertaining Part II: Nouvelle Cuisine (+ Alexian/Le Creuset Giveaway!) »

36 Responses

  1. Marie says

    April 18, 2022 at 11:07 am

    I LOVE this cheese ball! I have made it several times for parties and everyone loves it. I do add chopped jalapeno peppers that have been seeded and membranes removed. This gives it just a bit of a bite!

    Reply
    • Kimberly Killebrew says

      April 19, 2022 at 7:05 pm

      Fantastic, Marie, I’m so happy it’s become a regular and really appreciate the feedback, thank you!

      Reply
  2. Peggy Moore says

    February 2, 2020 at 6:27 pm

    How many 1 inch size cheese bites(balls) would this make?

    Reply
  3. GERI K says

    November 24, 2019 at 12:50 pm

    I don’t see anywhere at the end of the post how much you need to keep aside for the outer layer. Can you just say how much please?

    Reply
  4. Stephanie Rogers says

    October 11, 2019 at 10:37 am

    I made this cheese ball and it was a huge hit!!!! Everyone loved it!!! The blue cheese is what makes it stand out I can’t wait to make it again! Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      October 12, 2019 at 12:34 pm

      Fantastic, Stephanie, thanks so much!

      Reply
  5. Carron Ingham says

    January 3, 2019 at 3:31 pm

    I’ve made this Cheese Ball twice now and it is so yummy! I served it at a family party yesterday and it was a BIG hit, My granddaughter’s eyes light up when I told her to wrap up the leftover and take it home!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      January 3, 2019 at 5:13 pm

      Fantastic, Carron, I’m so glad it was a hit, thank you!

      Reply
  6. Shannon says

    December 30, 2018 at 4:05 pm

    this Cheese ball looks great, thanks for the recipe. Ingredients are on my shopping list! Happy New Years Kimberly !

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 30, 2018 at 7:37 pm

      Thank you, Shannon, Happy New Year! :)

      Reply
  7. Wanda says

    December 23, 2017 at 7:23 pm

    I DO NOT want to be in the grocery store on Christmas Eve Day. Can I substitute Feta for the blue cheese?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 23, 2017 at 10:25 pm

      I can’t blame you, Wanda! Yes, you can use feta, it just won’t have as strong, or the same, flavor.

      Reply
  8. B White says

    November 16, 2017 at 6:13 am

    What are the outer layer ingredients— or how much do you set aside for rolling on the outside?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 16, 2017 at 7:13 pm

      Hi B, if you scroll to the bottom of the post you’ll find the recipe box and in the list of ingredients it says “for the outer layer” and will tell you what you need and how much.

      Reply
  9. Sarah Walker Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella) says

    January 4, 2016 at 3:36 am

    I have to confess that I’ve never made or had a cheeseball. And they weren’t a staple of the parties of my childhood. But this one is super tempting with those festive colors and tasty flavors!

    Reply
  10. Erin says

    December 29, 2015 at 7:03 pm

    Seriously that looks like a CHristmas ornament!! Love it. I think I need to make a cheese ball! And we LOVE Food Should Taste Good crackers, too!!

    Reply
  11. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says

    December 29, 2015 at 5:45 pm

    Wowie! I just love this cheese ball — one of the prettiest I’ve seen. Great ingredients, too. I need to bring more cheese balls into my life, too! Thank you!

    Reply
  12. Laura says

    December 29, 2015 at 2:18 pm

    I love how Christmas-y this looks! And it sounds delicious. We always had cheddar beer cheeseballs–also delicious but a different animal completely. I want to try this one. And don’t you love when the kids love something you made like that?

    Reply
  13. Lisa @ Low Carb Yum says

    December 29, 2015 at 3:02 am

    This looks so good, I’d skip the crackers! Beautiful appetizer for serving at parties this time of year.

    Reply
  14. Anna @annaDishes says

    December 28, 2015 at 4:47 pm

    What a great use of cranberries! I love a good cheese ball! Will definitely make this soon!

    Reply
  15. Adina says

    December 28, 2015 at 2:11 am

    This looks so pretty,like a big jewel! I bet it tastes amazing. I found a recipe for some great looking crackers as well this morning (Cafe Sucre Farine), I think the two recipes would fit together perfectly.

    Reply
« Older Comments

Add your Response Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!Ā  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.Ā  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

Sign up for our newsletter!

Receive the latest from The Daring Gourmet!

No SPAM. Ever.Check out our privacy policy
  • About
  • Request
  • Contact
  • Privacy

Copyright © 2023 Ā· The Daring Gourmet Ā· All Rights Reserved

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
  • Shop

FREE EMAIL BONUS

REVEALED!

My Favorite Recipes

Get my latest FREE recipes
Straight to Your Inbox