MINI BACON RANCH CHEESE BALL RECIPE
This mini bacon ranch cheese ball recipe is so easy to make and delicious! You only need 5 ingredients and about 10 minutes to put together this game day ready appetizer. 
Sundays have been my favorite day of the week for a very long time. There is something about sitting down to watch football all day that really makes me happy.
Maybe it’s all the muscular men running around TV? Nah. It’s football food that really gets me going.
Sunday after Sunday, I watch football from noon to night – last year our team did badly but I still watched each week.
I am a football girl. I use the commercials to load up on plates of food and this year won’t be any different than years past.
MINI BACON RANCH CHEESE BALL RECIPE
Finger foods are my favorite food group (that is a food group, right?) and this mini bacon ranch cheese ball recipe is right up my alley.
Not counting the pretzel sticks, this is a 5-ingredient appetizer recipe. And it takes about 10 minutes to make all of the mini cheese balls. You will shortest amount of time making the shredded cheese and cream cheese mixture.
How’s that for scoring big!?
The last time I made these mini cheese balls, I only put together half of the mini cheese balls. I saved the leftover cheese mix (with the bacon and parsley added of course) for a little get together I had.
Wouldn’t you know, my guests treated it like a cheese dip and devoured it all with chips. So if you decide not to make everything into cheese balls, you’re still set with a delicious recipe. Win, win.
A few recipe notes:
You can substitute the parsley for green onions.
If you’re short on time, use precooked bacon or store bought bacon bits.
You can make dry ranch dressing mix from scratch.
If you are watching your salt intake, use low-sodium bacon and half of the ranch dressing mix.

MINI BACON RANCH CHEESE BALL RECIPE
yield: 30 
prep time: 10 MINUTES
This mini bacon ranch cheese ball recipe is so easy to make and delicious! You only need 5 ingredients and about 10 minutes to put together this game day ready appetizer. 

INGREDIENTS
  • 12 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 package ranch seasoning
  • 1 cup finely chopped bacon (1 pound bacon)
  • 1 tablespoon parsley
  • pretzel sticks
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Add the softened cream cheese to a medium bowl and smooth with a spatula or a hand mixer. Add the cheddar cheese and ranch seasoning and mix until combined.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the bacon and parsley.
  3. Use a melon baller to scoop out a ball of the cheese mixture. Use your hands to make sure it is in a ball and then roll it in the bacon mixture. Set aside.
  4. Repeat until all of the cheese balls are made. Place a pretzel stick in the middle of each cheese ball and serve.

NOTES
If you are watching your sodium intake, use low-sodium bacon and half of the ranch seasoning.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: YIELD: 30 SERVING SIZE: 1 mini cheese ball 
Amount Per Serving: CALORIES: 303 TOTAL FAT: 8.3 g SATURATED FAT: 4.5 g CHOLESTEROL: 21 mg SODIUM: 976 mg CARBOHYDRATES: 47.9 g FIBER: 1.8 g 
SUGAR: 1.7 g PROTEIN: 9.2 g
© Jenny Bullistron
CUISINE American / CATEGORY: Appetizers