Cream cheese is combined with fresh jalapenos, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese and green onions in this crowd-pleasing party appetizer.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
As far as I’m concerned, it’s not the holiday season without a savory cheeseball, and this Jalapeno Popper Cheeseball is my new favorite!
Just like the name suggests, it’s everything you love about a jalapeno popper, in a delicious, spreadable form that’s perfect for crackers, sliced baguettes and even vegetables.
Shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, finely diced fresh jalapenos, green onions and spices are mixed into softened cream cheese for an easy appetizer that’s loaded with flavor!
Ritz are the cracker of choice to go with cheeseballs at my house, but you can serve this with just about any kind of cracker there is. I like to offer an assortment of crackers if I’m entertaining.
For holidays like Christmas, I like to make two smaller cheeseballs–one for Christmas Eve and one for Christmas day. You can even serve this as a cheese spread if you don’t want to bother shaping it into a ball.
Cheeseballs are one of my favorite appetizers to serve when I’m entertaining. They’re easy to make, have a great presentation, and can be made several days ahead of time.
In fact, I think they taste best when they are made at least a day ahead of time. I often coat the outside of the cheeseball just before serving if it’s something I want to stay fresh and crisp–like nuts, breadcrumbs, or bacon.
As long as you seed your jalapenos well, this cheeseball really isn’t that spicy. If you prefer it spicy, leave in some of the jalapeno seeds, or add a dash of cayenne pepper.
This is also a great appetizer for New Year’s celebrations, and for game-day get togethers. Honestly, I don’t know why I don’t serve it all year long.
If you want to be the most popular guest at your next holiday party, bring along this Jalapeno Popper Cheeseball. Everyone will thank you!
Be sure to save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese
- Spices: garlic powder, onion powder, pepper
- Cheddar cheese
- Bacon
- Produce: jalapenos, green onions
Jalapeno Popper Cheeseball
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 8-10 sliced bacon cooked and crumbled, divided
- 2 jalapenos finely minced, divided
- 2-3 green onions chopped, divided
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, and half each of the bacon, jalapenos and green onions.
- Spoon the cheese mixture onto a large piece of wax paper or parchment and shape into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or until firm.
- Spread the remaining cheese, bacon, jalapenos and green onions onto a plate. Roll the cheeseball in the mixture to coat well, pressing the toppings into the cheeseball with your hands, if needed.
- Serve immediately with crackers, bread or vegetables.
Nutrition
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