Sriracha Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball

Be the talk of every party you attend! It’s as easy as bringing this Sriracha Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball loaded with bold flavors!

This post is sponsored by Mirum. All opinions are 100% my own.

A great cheese ball recipe is something everyone should have in their recipe arsenal. They’re so easy to make and you can put together a seemingly endless combination of flavors.

During the holidays I find myself gravitating towards big flavors like buffalo chicken dip or this Sriracha Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball. I love a spicy kick in my appetizers, and this cheese ball does not disappoint!

SRIRACHA BACON RANCH CHEESE BALL
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Unfortunately, my frequent heartburn doesn’t always agree with my favorite food choices. Instead of passing on my favorite holiday dishes, I’ve started taking Omeprazole Orally Disintegrating Tablets (ODT). It’s a preventative step I can take to battle heartburn and enjoy the season with my friends and family.

Did you know a whopping 85% of Americans admit to overeating during the holidays? And nearly ⅔ of that group feels physically uncomfortable after eating a holiday meal. I’ve been there myself. It’s not fun. Like me, 64% of heartburn sufferers wish there was a more convenient treatment for heartburn.

*Source: SWNS/Perrigo Company plc, “Beating the Holiday Burn” Survey: October 2018 and Kelton/Perrigo Company plc, “Prevent the Summer Burn” Survey: March 2018

Guess what friends. I’ve got you covered!

Omeprazole ODT is a breeze to take and they taste pretty good too! (Strawberry, yum!) I take one dose every 24 hours for 14 days for 24-hour heartburn relief. When it’s time to take my tablet, I put it on my tongue and let it dissolve. I love that I can find ODT easily during my regular shopping trips to Walmart or Sam’s Club. It makes taking care of heartburn so easy. And there’s no water needed to swallow a pill since Omeprazole ODT melts right on your tongue.

Omeprazole ODT is not intended for immediate relief. While it can take 1-4 days for the full effect of ODT to kick in, once it does, the relief I feel is a game-changer for my daily life. ODT works as well as the national brands, but it’s more affordable because it’s the store brand.

You should not take Omeprazole Orally Disintegrating Tablets for more than 14 days or more frequently than every four months unless directed by your doctor.

With my heartburn under control, I’m all about cheese balls, red wine sangria, and baked brie!

What is a cheese ball made of?

Your basic cheese ball starts with cream cheese. Then shredded cheese, seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, and maybe a dash of hot sauce are added. Then the ball is rolled in finely chopped pecans or other nuts to coat the outside.

For this sriracha bacon ranch cheese ball recipe, I used the ingredients listed below.

• 2 packages cream cheese (at room temperature to make it easier to work with)
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 packet of ranch dressing mix
• Sriracha hot sauce
• Crispy bacon

Nothing fancy, just easy to find ingredients that combine to make one of the best cheese balls I’ve ever tasted!

When it comes to the outside of your cheese ball you have a few options.

Option 1 – Roll the cheese ball in some sort of coating. Usually, things like nuts, herbs, or one of the other ingredients in your cheese ball (like bacon) are used.

Option 2 – Sprinkle a little garnish on top of the cheese ball. That’s what I did for this recipe.

Option 3 – Leave your cheese ball naked

There’s no wrong answer here. Whatever works best for you in the moment is the way to go!

How to Make a Cheese Ball

1. Start by placing a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add as much bacon to the skillet as you can. You’ll need to cook the bacon in batches to cook it all. Using a pair of tongs, flip the bacon as needed while it cooks.
2. Once the bacon is nice and crispy, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate so the grease can drain off. Keeping going until all the bacon has been cooked.
3. Once your bacon has cooled, place it all on a cutting board and use a chef’s knife to chop it up. The size of the bacon pieces is up to you. That being said I like to keep them pretty small so they mix in well and get into every bite.
4. Next, add almost all of the chopped bacon, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing mix, and sriracha to a medium mixing bowl. Use a spoon or rubber spatula to mix everything together until everything is evenly distributed.
5. Here’s the messy part, use your hands to pick up the cream cheese mixture and for it into a ball. Once it’s ready, you place your cheese ball onto a serving plate. Or you can wrap the cheese ball in plastic wrap and chill it until later.
6. When you’re ready to serve it up, sprinkle the bacon you saved on top of the cheese ball.

If you prefer to make your bacon in the oven you can absolutely do so. Just make sure the bacon is nice a crispy for texture contrast.

How long do cheese ball last?

A homemade cheese ball recipe will generally last around 4 days store in the fridge in an air-tight container. However, this bacon ranch cheese ball recipe is usually gone within a day or two. I mean who can really say no to a cheese ball with ranch dressing and bacon bits?

How do you serve a cheese ball?

Place the cheese ball on a plate or platter with crackers, pretzels, or whatever else you want to serve with it. That’s it! They also make a great addition to a cheese board if you use half the recipe.

What are the best crackers for cheese ball?

Make sure you get a sturdy cracker, something that isn’t going to break when you dig it into the cheese ball.

The same goes if you plan to use a cheese knife for serving. The crackers need to be able to hold up to spreading.

Step up your cheese ball game with these tasty recipes!

• Bacon Jalapeno Cheese Ball
• Pineapple Cheese Ball
• Onion & Bell Pepper Cheese Ball
• Garlic & Herb Goat Cheese Ball
• Pepperoni Pizza Cheese Ball
• Onion Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
• More APPETIZER recipes…