No matter who you’re rooting for, surely this Jalapeno Cheddar Football Cheese Ball will be the MVP of your tailgate spread. A cheesy football with a little bit a heat, completed covered in bacon. The best play in my book.
What you’ll need:
- saran wrap
- cream cheese
- jalapeno
- hot sauce
- garlic powder
- cheddar cheese
- cooked bacon or bacon bits
- provolone cheese
Tips on making this cheese ball:
- Use Saran wrap to shape the cheese ball into a football. This keeps your hands clean and makes cleanup easy.
- Pre-cook bacon and let it cool while the cheese ball is in the refrigerator. To cut down on time, buy bacon bits. They’re just as tasty and work just as good.
- Refrigerate cheese ball at least 20 minutes, longer if you have the time to spare. Not only does this firm up the shape, but it allows time for the flavors to fuse together. I usually make mine the day before and coat with bacon right before serving.
- Lean into your teams colors. Line your football with a food item the color of the team. Clearly I’m a Browns and Buckeye fan so I tend to stick to orange and red as my pops of color. Go Buckeyes! Go Browns!
What to serve with the Football Cheese Ball:
Any type of crackers, pretzels, or fresh peppers.
I hope you enjoy this festive recipe all throughout tailgate season.
Jalapeno Cheddar Football Cheese Ball
Add this tasty, festive, savory treat to your Fall football weekend tailgate menu! A cheesy shaped football coated in bacon with a little bit of heat. Best served with crackers, pretzels, or fresh cut veggies.
Servings 0 a crowd
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese
- 1 jalapeno finely chopped
- dash hot sauce
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 green onions chopped
- bacon crumbled
- provolone cheese
Instructions
- Mix together cream cheese, jalapeno, hot sauce, garlic powder, cheddar cheese, and green onions.
- Cut a long piece of Saran wrap and lay it flat on the counter. Transfer the cheese mixture to the Saran wrap. Fold over both ends of the Saran wrap and gently form a football cheese ball. (Refer to reel on Instagram for demo.)
- Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the refrigerator and transfer to a serving dish. Gently add cooked, crumbled bacon.
- Cut a slice of provolone cheese to make the football stitches.
- Serve with chips, pretzels, or veggies.
I’d love to hear from you once you get the chance to make this recipe. Leave a comment below with your review or any modifications you made! And don’t forget to tag @rightbackspatula on Instagram if you take any pictures!