Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Bacon-Jalapeno Cheeseball

In the eighties and early nineties I ate my fair share of cheeseballs.  They were everywhere.  My Mom made them.  My friend's mother's made them.  They were the "thing" to bring to a party or get together.  Then somewhere along the way the cheeseball became out of favor and fell to the wayside.  I'm not sure who decided to do away with the cheeseball, but I think it should make a comeback.  Heck, the cheeseball deserves to make a comeback.  A modern comeback, pumped up with all kinds of flavor.
 
Imagine cream cheese and cheddar cheese flavored with bacon, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, cayenne, cilantro, and Worcestershire all rolled into a ball and then rolled in toasted pecans, more bacon, and even more jalapeno.  It's creamy, it's crunchy, it's spicy, and it's bursting with flavor.  It's simply addictive.  You might even make a meal out of it!
This is my first cheeseball, but it won't be my last.  I highly recommend this for any occasion or absolutely no occasion at all.
Bacon-Jalapeno Cheeseball
Adapted from The Homesick Texan
Serves 4-6

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne
1 teaspoon lime juice (I omitted the lime juice)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 jalapeños, stems and seeds removed, diced, divided
6 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled, divided (about 6 ounces)
Salt to taste
1/4 cup chopped pecans, roasted
Crackers for serving

Method:
Mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cilantro, garlic, cumin, cayenne, lime juice (if using), Worcestershire sauce, half of the diced jalapeños and half of the crumbled cooked bacon. Taste and adjust seasonings and add salt.

Place the roasted pecans and remaining diced jalapeños and bacon on a plate. Stir together so well mixed. With your hands, roll the cheese mixture into a ball, then place on the plate and roll in the jalapeños, bacon and pecans until covered.

Chill covered for at least an hour before serving. Serve with crackers.

21 comments:

  1. I love bringing back oldies but goodies...cheese balls may have a bad reputation, but you've proven here that they deserve a comeback. What a great combination of flavors and colors!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a wonderful recipe! I don't often make cheeseballs becasue I end up eating the entire thing by myself... but I am definately going to make this one (and probably eat it all too).

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm all for the cheeseball making a comeback!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've got a lot of love for the cheese ball! Southerners still think it's THE thing, but they're harder to come by now in the city. This one looks awesome, though, I've got to try it! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love cheese balls, home made are the best!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am a die-hard cheeseball fan (not to be confused with a cheese-ball Die Hard fan). And I have had this one bookmarked to make to take with me somewhere for a while. Unfortunately, I never go anywhere. I know I'll eat the whole thing by myself if I don't wait. So, I'll live vicariously through yours for now. It look amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow! This is a cheeseball I have to make--bet it's incredible. Funny how certain foods go in cycles. In the 70s my mom always brought a shrimp mold to a party. Then it was cheeseballs. I love to bring back the old stuff because of the memories that come with them. But what I love even more is a new twist on the old. Like bacon & jalapeno!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kim, whoa..what a mouth watering combo of flavors in these cheese balls. I would surely eat too much. May as well apply directly to my ass because that’s where the weight will go. But I don’t care! I HAVE to try this…too delish!

    ReplyDelete
  9. boy oh boy do those look GOOD! thanks so much for sharing. totally adore your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yum! And I didn't get lunch today...I'm starving! Yes, I agree, what happened to cheese balls???? This one looks fab except I'd have to leave out some spicy stuff..just jalapeno's and cayenne...or at least less. I can't handle the spicy stuff anymore but the bacon...oh yeah....bring it on! I can't wait to try this...it WILL be a meal by the time I get done with it! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  11. That looks so good and yes I would totally make a meal out of it.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm all about bringing back the cheeseball! They are actually pretty popular around here - most grocery stores carry several different varieties! This, though, sounds phenomenal. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Makes a person want to take a cheeseball to a party. They do get a bad rap, but the naysayers would rethink this cheeseball. Yum!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. i remember cheeseballs too! my mom made one every year, and they were so tasty. i'm very happy to see them make a comeback, especially in such a spicy, smoky form, YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love how you spiced up the cheeseball. I haven't had one for years.

    ReplyDelete
  16. My parents are HUGE fans of all things cheese so I can't imagine how we never had a cheeseball around. Ever. This is a really stepped up version that I will definitely be forcing upon them!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Cheese ball never went out of style with me! I can't wait to try this one.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm part of the Joy the Baker thing and stopped by to see your post and ended up instead at this cheese ball recipe. I made this at Christmas and everyone went WILD over it. Great recipe. Here in Colorado, I don't think Cheese Balls ever went out of style. I think that's a good thing. They're easy and with so many flavor combos.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Okay, when I read "cheeseballs deserve to make a come back", I instantly heard LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" playing in my head.

    The flavors are rocking in this one Kim. Same flavors from a jalapeno popper, yum.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love a good cheese ball--they should definitely make a big comeback. This one looks addicting. ;-)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! At the moment I am having a huge problem with spam so I've had to add comment moderation and close off comments to anonymous users. I apologize for the trouble and hope to return my comments to normal shortly.