By now you have figured out that I am in a long-standing love affair with bacon. I mean, aren't we all, really? You can take just about any recipe, add bacon to it, and it instantly becomes better. Like this BLT Cheese Ball. The cheese ball is a must have at parties and holiday gatherings, right?
Some are made with nuts; some without. Cheddar, cream cheese, green onions...some recipes are even made with pineapple. (OOOhhh...recipe idea forming : Hawaiian Cheese Ball. Stay tuned.) How can you go wrong with the tasty classic Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato combo?! You can't. Last minute holiday recipe solved.
Need a last minute party recipe? This BLT Cheese Ball is IT!
This recipe was born from necessity.
- I needed a party recipe.
- I needed to use the bacon and spinach lettuce mix sitting in my fridge.
- I didn't have a lot of extra money, so I really needed to use the ingredients I had on hand.
Ingredients Needed to Make BLT Cheese Ball:
- Cream cheese
- Bacon
- Tomato
- Fresh spinach or dark greens
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Frank's RedHot Sauce
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Crackers pita chips, crusty bread, or toast tips for serving
When you are faced with food challenges like this, your best bet is to go with what you love. A traditional recipe. Familiar flavors.
Bacon. Lettuce. Tomato. "Duh mom" moment. BLT Cheese Ball...so easy, so tasty, and fast!
Crisp up the savory bacon, crumble, and stir into the softened cream cheese with a diced tomato (or your fave salsa).
Fold in finely chopped spinach mix, lettuce greens or whatever you have on hand. Then you simply mold into a ball shape or a wedge shape as shown.
Serve with your favorite crackers, bread, or toast tips and you have a wonderful party appetizer. Of course, on a pretty serving tray. Why didn't we think of making a BLT Cheese Ball sooner?
(Have you tried or Pimento Cheese BLT's yet?!)
Or how about our Fast + Easy Pizza Sliders or Veggie Pizza Appetizer?
For easy serving, allow the BLT Cheese Ball to soften to room temperature.
Enjoy!
BLT Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz blocks cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 8 strips cooked bacon finely chopped
- 1 to mato finely chopped
- 1 large handful fresh spinach / green lettuce mix finely chopped
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon Frank's hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Crackers pita chips, crusty bread, or toast tips for serving
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients (except the crackers). Use a rubber spatula or spoon to evenly distribute all ingredients.
- To shape into a ball, press the mixture into a medium sized bowl that has been sprayed with olive oil or butter flavored non stick spray.
- Invert onto a serving platter.
- Shape into the desired shape. You can leave it in a dome-shaped ball, or lightly flatten it (as shown in the recipe). Cover and refrigerate atleast 1 hour before serving.
- Serve with crackers, pita chips, or crusty bread or toast tips.
I would like to know how far in advance can I make this BLT Cheese Ball. How long will it keep in the fridge.D
Since we have some perishables in the recipe (fresh tomatoes and spinach) that we don't want to get soggy, I would stick with preparation a day in advance. Should keep in the fridge for 2 - 3 days.