Bacon Sucker Punch Cheese Ball
Cheese balls are categorically an All-American thing. The first recorded cheese ball didn’t shy away from being the center of attention either, as it weighed over half a TON. That's right - 1,235 pounds. Carried from Massachusetts to the White House lawn, it was a gift from Baptist Minister John Leland to President Thomas Jefferson to express his gratitude to the religious freedom the Baptist community enjoyed. Leland used the attention garnered by his enormous ball of cheese as an opportunity to vocalize his support for the abolitionist movement, proudly declaring the cheese ball free of the work of slaves.
There is definitely a reason the cheese ball has become such an entertaining staple in American households around the holidays. Not only is this dish flexible and allows you to present your favorite, crowd-pleasing flavors, but it's time-friendly and can be prepared a few days in advance in a food processor. Your cheese ball will be ready to go whenever you have company over to munch on while dinner is being prepared. Just be sure to serve with some knives or else leave it out of the fridge for a few minutes so that it’s easy enough to spread!
- 1/4 cup Turkish figs, chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, divided
- 6 Slices of cooked bacon, chopped, divided
- 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Maple Bourbon Seasoning
- In a small bowl, combine figs, cranberries, pecans, half of the parsley and bacon. Mix well. Set aside.
- Using a food processor, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, goat cheese, Worcestershire sauce, remaining bacon and parsley, and Maple Bourbon Seasoning. Process until smooth (about 2 minutes). Cover and refrigerate 2 hours up to overnight.
- Form mixture into a ball and roll evenly in coating.
- Serve with crackers, chips, or veggies.
