thepioneerwoman
Football Cheese Ball
This football cheese ball with herbs, Monterey Jack, candied bacon, and nuts is the ultimate game day appetizer—festive, creamy, and crowd-pleasing.
👥 8 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 1h 35m⏳ Prep: 40 min👤 Ree Drummond📖 thepioneerwoman
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●cutting board
- ●food processor
- ●baking sheet
- ●oven
- ●whisk
- ●bowl
- ●knife
📝 Preparation Steps
1
On a cutting board, chop the garlic, then sprinkle it with the salt and mash it into a paste with a fork.
2
Transfer the garlic paste to a food processor along with the parsley, chives, and dill. Pulse until finely chopped, about 10 times. Add the cream cheese, Monterey Jack, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, lemon juice, and a pinch of pepper and process until well combined, about ⏱️ 30 seconds.
3
Transfer the cheese mixture to a sheet of plastic wrap and fold the plastic around the cheese. Use the plastic wrap to help form the cheese into a football shape. Refrigerate until firm, at least ⏱️ 1 hour and up to overnight. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with foil.
4
In a shallow dish, whisk together the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon black pepper. One at a time, press each slice of bacon into the sugar to coat both sides. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets.
5
Bake until the bacon is browned at the edges and starting to crisp, about ⏱️ 25 minutes. Transfer the hot bacon to a wire rack to cool completely. (If it cools on the baking sheets it will stick.)
6
Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant, 5 to ⏱️ 7 minutes. Let cool.
7
Finely chop the bacon and nuts and combine in a large shallow bowl. Unwrap the cheese ball and carefully roll it in the bacon mixture to coat it completely. Transfer the cheese ball to a platter. Use clean hands or a piece of plastic wrap to gently reshape it into a football pressing in any loose bits as needed.
8
Using a sharp knife, cut the American cheese into ½-inch-wide strips. Place one strip across each end of the football, trimming as needed, and another strip lengthwise down the center. Cut four more strips about 2½ inches long and arrange them crosswise over the center strip to form the laces. If needed, use a small dab of sour cream to help the strips adhere. Scatter additional chopped herbs around the cheese ball to resemble turf. Serve with crackers, pretzel thins, and cut vegetables.
Crackers, pretzel thins, and cut-up vegetables, for serving
Nutrition Facts
calories
591 Calories
fat Content
47 g
fiber Content
1 g
sugar Content
20 g
sodium Content
831 mg
protein Content
21 g
trans Fat Content
0 g
cholesterol Content
103 mg
carbohydrate Content
22 g
saturated Fat Content
21 g
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