Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and we have been invited to a Christmas Eve Pajama Party at our good friend’s house. We are going to Mass at 4:00 pm, and then coming home to change into our cool pajamas, grab the food I prepared ahead of time, and get everyone loaded up in the van. It is a busy time of year and while I would love to have made some extra fancy dish to bring to the party, I went the more realistic route and said, “Ok. What is quick, delicious, and will please a crowd?” I instantly thought of a cheese ball. Now, I have had my fair share of delicious ones, and I have also encountered some I regretted trying, but the one I am sharing with you today is always a crowd pleaser.
Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball (already sounds promising, right?)
You will need:
- 2 8oz packages of cream cheese
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 slices of bacon, chopped (you can cook your own bacon and chop it, or buy the pre-cooked stuff and zap it in the microwave- both work great!)
- 1 bunch of green onions, diced
- 1 package of Ranch seasoning mix
To get started, add all of the ingredients into a large bowl. Stir around until it is well incorporated.
Next, lay out a piece of plastic wrap. Pour the mix onto the plastic wrap, and lay another piece of plastic wrap on top. Use your hands to shape the mixture into a ball. Once it is mostly circular (as good as you can get it) fold the plastic wrap in on itself until it is all nice and neat. Put the cheese ball into the fridge for 4 hours, or overnight.
Once the ball is nice and firm, unwrap it and place it onto a serving platter. There will be lines from the plastic wrap, so if this really bothers you, you can take a butter knife or the back of a spoon and smooth it out. Surround the cheese ball with an assortment of crackers. I like to do one type of butter cracker, and one type of baked cracker with sea salt.
I know that a lot of cheese balls are typically rolled around in some sort of topping. I’ve seen toasted panko, pecans, bacon, etc. I have found that if a cheese ball is rolled around in something tasty, then guests will just eat the outer part of the cheese ball and leave the inside be. I prefer to mix all ingredients into the cheese ball and enjoy it like that so each bite has a little bit of everything. This cheese ball has yet to survive a whole party- it is usually gone within the first hour.
I hope your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are full of peace, joy, and love. Although I am going to Mass at 4:00pm with my family, I will be going to the midnight Mass alone. It is my favorite tradition for myself, and it always brings me to tears. I am praying for all of you, and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
As always, thank you for your support.
Lots of love,
Chelsea
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:41
The Catholic Kitchen 