Effortless Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Main Components
01 -
6 bacon slices, cooked crispy and crumbled
02 -
60 milliliters green onions finely chopped, or swap with 80 milliliters diced chives
03 -
170 grams cheddar cheese (freshly grated—try sharp yellow and white together)
04 -
3.5 grams garlic powder
05 -
30 grams ranch seasoning powder
06 -
45 milliliters sour cream
07 -
450 grams cream cheese, let it come to room temp so it's soft
→ Optional Garnish
08 -
Chopped pecans for rolling (skip if you want)
# Instructions:
01 -
Once it's chilled, unwrap the cheese ball. If you like, roll it in some chopped pecans before putting it on a plate. Serve it with crackers, pita chips, veggies, or slices of crusty bread.
02 -
Pop the wrapped cheese ball in the fridge for at least half an hour. This gives the flavors a chance to mix together and makes it firmer.
03 -
Set the cheesy blend onto some plastic wrap, pull the wrap around it, and shape it into a big ball with your hands.
04 -
Drop the softened cream cheese, sour cream, ranch powder, garlic powder, fresh shredded cheddar, chopped onions or chives, and bacon bits into a mixing bowl. Use a silicone spatula to mix everything well until it's all nicely blended.
# Notes:
01 -
Let cream cheese hang out on the counter for about an hour so it blends easier.
02 -
Shredding cheddar from a block gives the best taste and texture—skip the pre-shredded stuff if you can.
03 -
Don’t swap ranch seasoning with dip mix—they taste different and the right seasoning is needed.
04 -
You can fix this cheese ball up to two days before serving. Just keep it in the fridge.
05 -
Save yourself some trouble by cooking the bacon a day ahead.
06 -
For parties, try making mini cheese balls and stick toothpicks in them for a fun twist.