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Jalapeño Popper Cheeseball

Close-up of jalapeño popper cheeseball with pretzels

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This jalapeño popper cheeseball is perfect for the Superbowl or watching football!

Ingredients

Scale

  • 3 slices bacon or turkey bacon
  • 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
  • 8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 12 slices of mozzarella, provolone, or String Cheese (for the laces)
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onion, divided
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
  • 2 fresh jalapenos, finely chopped (approximately 1/4 cup)
  • 1/2 cup pickled jalapenos, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Yummy Sides: You can serve this with crackers, chips, pretzels, or any other favorite dippers.

For a healthier option, you can try:

  • Swapping bacon for turkey bacon
  • Use reduced-fat cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese
  • Serve with veggies, whole-grain Ritz crackers, or pretzels

Instructions

  1. Soften cream cheese in the microwave for approximately 30 seconds.
  2. Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, pickled jalapeno, salt, and 2-3 tablespoons of the chopped green onion in a medium bowl and mix well.
  3. Scoop out the mixture onto a cutting board or serving platter and mold it into a football shape using your hands. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill to help it hold its shape.
  4. While the cheese mixture is chilling, chop bacon into small pieces and cook in a skillet. Once cooked, remove the bacon, leaving a bit of bacon grease in the skillet.
  5. Lightly toast the breadcrumbs in the skillet for about two minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
  6. Finely chop/mince the jalapenos (be sure to remove the seeds and stem.)
  7. Cover the cheeseball mixture with the bacon, Panco breadcrumbs, jalapeno, parsley, and the remaining green onion. Press into the cheeseball to help coat it completely.
  8. To create the football laces, trim one long, thin piece (about 1/4 of an inch wide and 5 inches long) of the provolone, mozzarella, or String Cheese and place it centered on top of the football. Then trim about 8 pieces of cheese (about 1/2 long and 1/4 wide) and lay them perpendicularly on top of the long middle piece.
  9. Optional: For the two white stripes on each side of the football, trim two pieces of cheese in an arch shape (about 2 inches wide) and place on each side of the football.
  10. Serve with your favorite dippers and enjoy!

Tip: Never pour hot grease down the drain, as it can cause costly plumbing damage. Pour it on a plastic container with a lid and discard in the garbage.

Notes

Special thanks to Jenn over at www.peasandcrayons.com for the recipe inspo.

Nutrition

Keywords: Dip, Appetizer