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Jalapeño bacon cheese balls are perfect for holiday–or any–party!
Jalapeño Bacon Cheese Balls
If you love jalapeño poppers, you’ll just love these jalapeño bacon cheese balls! Since they have bacon, they should be even more delicious.
They’re really simple to make but can be a bit messy. If you read on further, I give tips on how to make it a less messy process. However, these are so good, I really didn’t mind the mess at all. The fact that they disappear very quickly when you put them out on the buffet is just another reason I think they’re worth it.
Tips For Success
Cream cheese is dense and sticky in its natural state. It becomes a little less so if its mixed with something else just like it is in this recipe. However, it’s still pretty sticky and hard to handle.
Some people have success working with wet hands. While that may work for some, sadly it does not work for me.
What I do is use a drop-cookie scoop (affiliate link). It’s the perfect size for these cheese balls too. Just scoop and drop in the bacon bits and roll. Your hands will get greasy from the bacon, but not gummed up.
Another Thing You Could Do…
The other tip is really simple. Make one big cheese ball! That way its one-and-done and that’s that. Put it in the center of the plate and surround with crackers and problem solved.
I have to say I still prefer the individual portions. It’s special because everyone does the large cheese balls. Mostly I think it’s more sanitary because if you have your own, you won’t “double-dip” as with the larger one.
The Recipe
Jalapeno Popper Cheese Balls
Ingredients
- 16 oz softened cream cheese
- 2 tbs mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup finely chopped chives
- 1 cup finely diced jalapeno peppers
- 2 cups finely crumbled bacon
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tbs finely diced red onion
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- Pinch of cayenne optional
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients, except the crumbled bacon in a large bowl. Mix well until its all incorporated.
- Spread the crumbled bacon on a piece of wax paper or a platter.
- Form the cream cheese mixture into balls about 1-inch/2.5 cm in diameter. A cookie scoop is very helpful here.
- Roll the balls in the crumbled bacon, coating well. Alternatively, you can make one big ball instead of individual balls.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
