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Cheese Ball Bites

One of my favorite foods to have on hand during the holidays is cheese. You never know when you might want to have an impromptu gathering or unexpected company. Cheese is delicious and can be served in so many ways. My go-to recipe is for my mother’s cheese ball. Her recipe has been around for decades. I think she originally got it from her Ladies Home Journal magazine. With her recipe in mind, I made delicious cheese ball bites.

Cheese, glorious cheese!

These cheese ball bites start with cream cheese and cheddar cheese. 

Oh, and the crowning glory – bacon! You would not believe how much bacon our homes go through during holiday time. Most recipes call for it and we are totally okay with that! 😀

Fresh chives give just a hint of sweet onion flavor.

Pecans are plentiful in our area as we have many pecan farms near us. Now,let’s get to the good stuff. This is how you put it all together!

Yield: 18 mini cheese balls

Cheese Ball Bites

Print

Delicious individual cheese ball bites. Perfect appetizer or snack for any party or holiday!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 blocks (8 oz.) blocks cream cheese, softened
• 8 slices of bacon
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 1/3 cup freshly chopped chives
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
• 18 pretzel sticks

Instructions

1. Cook bacon until crispy. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, then finely chop. Set aside
2. In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic powder and paprika. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Roll mixture into 18 meatball sized balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm - 1 hour.
4. In a shallow bowl, stir together bacon, chives and pecans.
5. Roll balls in bacon,chive,pecan mixture. If not serving right away, loosely cover with plastic wrap and return to refrigerator. 15 minutes before serving, remove from fridge and let come to room temperature. Insert a pretzel stick into each.

These cheese balls really are the perfect bite. Your party guests will love them too. All they have to do is grab one up with the pretzel handle. No messy knives, spreaders or crackers needed! 

Creamy, savory and a bit of crunch. This is my kind of party appetizer.

Have you made a cheese ball lately? What are your favorite party foods to have on hand?

We like to have Ranch Oyster Crackers and Alabama Fire crackers on hand as well.

Don’t forget to Pin this to your favorite Pinterest Board!