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Cheddar Ranch Cheese Ball

Cheddar ranch cheese ball with a creamy orange cheddar interior, coated in crunchy bacon-pecan topping. Made by mixing, chilling until firm, then rolling for a snack-ready bite with crackers and pretzels.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 440
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cream cheese, softened
  • 16 oz cream cheese
Shredded sharp cheddar
  • 2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Ranch seasoning packet
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning
Green onions, finely sliced
  • 2 green onions finely sliced
Bacon, cooked and finely crumbled
  • 6 slices bacon cooked and finely crumbled
Pecans, finely chopped
  • 3.75 cup pecans finely chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Crackers and pretzels for serving
  • 1 crackers and pretzels for serving

Method
 

Mix the cheese ball
  1. Beat the cream cheese, shredded cheddar, ranch seasoning, and finely sliced green onions until well combined, with no dry streaks remaining.
  2. Shape the mixture into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill for 2 hours until firm.
Make the coating and finish
  1. Combine the finely crumbled bacon, finely chopped pecans, and chopped fresh parsley on a plate.
  2. Roll the chilled cheese ball in the coating, pressing so the bacon-pecan mixture sticks on all sides.
  3. Let the cheese ball sit for 10 minutes at room temperature, then serve with crackers and pretzels.

Notes

Pro tip: chill the cheese ball until fully firm so the coating adheres without smearing. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze is not recommended because the texture can become crumbly. For a dairy-light option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat sharp cheddar to lower calories while keeping the ranch flavor.