Description
Delicious, bite-sized cheese balls combining creamy cheddar and cream cheese, flavored with garlic and paprika, then rolled in a savory mix of crispy bacon, roasted pecans, and fresh chives. Perfect for parties as an easy-to-make, crowd-pleasing appetizer served on pretzel sticks.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Ball Mixture
- 1 1/2 (12-oz.) blocks cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Bacon Pecan Coating
- 8 slices bacon
- 1/3 cup roasted salted pecans, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped
Serving
- 18 pretzel sticks
Instructions
- Prepare Cheese Ball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, garlic powder, and paprika. Season the mixture generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir until well combined. Using a cookie scoop, portion the mixture into 18 small balls, approximately 1 inch in diameter, and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate the cheese balls for about 1 hour until firm.
- Cook Bacon: While the cheese balls firm up, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon slices, turning occasionally, and cook for about 8 minutes or until crispy. Once cooked, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat. When cooled, finely chop the bacon on a cutting board.
- Make Bacon Pecan Mixture: In a shallow bowl, combine the finely chopped bacon with the chopped roasted salted pecans and fresh chives, mixing thoroughly to distribute the flavors evenly.
- Coat Cheese Balls: Remove the cheese balls from the fridge. Roll each cheese ball in the bacon pecan mixture until fully coated on all sides. Insert one pretzel stick into each cheese ball to serve as a handle.
- Serve and Store: Allow the cheese ball bites to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving to enhance flavors and softness. If not serving immediately, loosely cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- Make sure the cream cheese is softened before mixing to ensure smooth texture.
- For extra flavor, you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the cheese mixture for mild heat.
- Use roasted salted pecans for added crunch and flavor; avoid raw nuts.
- The pretzel sticks serve as convenient handles, making these perfect finger foods for parties.
- Prep can be done a day ahead; keep covered in the fridge until serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cheese ball bite
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
