This super tasty (and bacon-y!) football party appetizer is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. 🤩 It scores big on taste and looks so pretty all rolled up in pecans, parsley, and caramelized bacon bits. 🙌

BACON RANCH CHEDDAR FOOTBALL CHEESE BALL

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Ingredients:

• 16 oz cream cheese (+ a couple extra oz for garnish)
• 8 slices cooked Coke-Soaked bacon, diced & divided
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped & divided
• 1 (1-ounce) package Ranch Seasoning and Salad Dressing Mix
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• RITZ Crackers, for serving

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the pecans, 2 Tbsp of parsley, and half of the bacon. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, goat cheese, Worcestershire sauce, the Ranch Seasoning and Salad Dressing Mix, and the remaining chopped bacon and parsley. Use a hand mixer on medium-high and beat until ingredients are well-combined.

3. Scoop and shape the cheese ball mixture into a (very general) football shape. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

4. Remove the cheese ball from the refrigerator and fine-tune the shape of the “football” cheese ball until you’re happy with it. Then, roll the sides and top of the football in the pecan-parsley-bacon mixture. (Leave the bottom of the football uncovered.) Use your hands to pat the remaining mixture onto the football until it’s well covered.

5. To form the “football laces”, roll out a couple of oz of chilled cream cheese in the same manner that you would roll out cookie dough. Use a sharp knife to cut strips of the cream cheese to use for the football “laces”, and place them on the top of the ball.

6. Serve with RITZ Crackers and enjoy!

Next up… Game Day Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Tenders (also featuring Coke-Soaked Bacon)!

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Coca-Cola® and NABISCO for this post. As always, the content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that make it possible for us to keep the creative content coming!