I love cheese balls! I just don’t do a very good job at making them.  True confession. I’ve never had a cheese ball turn out to look like a pretty, round, coated, ball.

I found a way to enjoy cheese balls, without feeling the defeat of formation.

Serve the cheese ball in a bowl and call it “spread”!

Don’t laugh, it tastes the same and looks almost as pretty. Well, it looks yummy anyway.

What better flavors to use in a cheese ball, I mean, spread, than Bacon and Ranch? Those are two family favorites at my house. I’m sure you know plenty of people who rank those flavors high on the charts also.

Bacon Ranch Cheese Spread Recipe

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) packages Cream Cheese
1 (2.5 oz) package Ranch Dressing powder
1 (3.5 oz) package Bacon Bits
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Place cream cheese on counter and allow to soften for an hour. Cut into small pieces and place into medium mixing bowl. Add Ranch dressing powder, bacon and cheese. Mix with electric mixer until well blended. Chill overnight or for several hours to allow flavors to blend.

Approximate Nutritional Value per serving: Servings per Recipe: 12, Calories: 395, Fat: 35g, Cholesterol: 105mg, Sodium: 980mg, Total Carbs: 3g, Protein: 15g.

Make it a Meal: Serve with crackers or vegetables as an appetizer. Spread over warm bagels for a Breakfast meal.

This spread goes really well with Italian Crackers

Variations: add diced green onion, chopped olives or red peppers for some additional color and flavor. Scoop the spread into plastic wrap and shape into a ball before chilling. Unwrap ball and roll in bacon bits and cheese to create a cheese ball worth eating all by yourself!

Super easy! Only a couple ingredients and no fussing about trying to wrap the cheese mixture into a nice round ball shape.

Find a pretty dish to serve the cheese spread in, add a plate of crackers and you’re all set!

Interested in one of the books pictured above? You can purchase on Amazon here.

#appetizer #creamcheese #ApronFreeCooking #bacon