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Finished Cheese Ball

Smoky Sweet & Heat Cabot Cheese Ball

thisjewcanque
The perfect contribution to a holiday gathering, this cheese ball recipe combines the distinct sharp flavors of Cabot cheese with the tasty addition of a little smoke, a little sweet, a little heat and some bacon.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Refrigeration Time 1 hour
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 6 appetizer servings

Equipment

  • Traeger grill
  • Small cookie sheet & aluminum foil
  • Bowl and rubber spatula
  • Shallow bowl or dish
  • Plastic wrap

Ingredients
  

  • 1 block Cabot cream cheese
  • ½ block Cabot sharp cheddar cheese finely grated
  • 2 tbsp Garlic Junkie seasoning from Spiceology
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 6 slices bacon
  • 2 green onions finely diced
  • 1 tbsp gherkins or bread and butter pickles finely diced
  • 1 tbsp pimentos or peppadew peppers finely diced
  • 1 tsp Candied pickled jalapenos finely diced
  • ½ cup candied pecans finely chopped
  • ¼ cup parsley finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp poppy seeds
  • Crackers and apple slices for serving

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your Traeger grill to 160F
  • Using a small cookie sheet or piece of foil, place the unwrapped block of cream cheese in the center
  • Score the top of the cream cheese in a hatch-mark pattern
  • Season the cream cheese generously with the Garlic Junkie seasoning
  • Place the cream cheese in the grill and smoke it for about 2 hours
  • Once the cream cheese has smoked, remove it from the grill and allow to cool to room temperature
  • Bump up the grill temperature to 375F
  • Arrange bacon slices on a foil-lined cookie sheet
  • Put the baon in the grill and cook for 15-20 minutes until rendered and beginning to crisp
  • Remove the bacon from the grill and drain on paper towels before dicing it finely and setting half aside
  • Combine the cream cheese, shredded cheese, ½ of the chopped bacon, the green onions, peppers, pickles, jalapenos and sour cream in a bowl
  • Using a plastic spatula, mix well until ingredients are evenly distributed
  • In a shallow bowl or dish, combine the remaining bacon, pecans, parsley and poppy seeds
  • Using disposable gloves, divide the cream cheese mixture in half and form it into two balls
  • Carefully roll the balls in the pecan/bacon mixture and press to coat thoroughly
  • Transfer each ball to a square of plastic wrap and wrap tightly in a smooth sphere
  • Place the balls in the fridge and refrigerate at least an hour or overnight
  • Before serving, place the ball on a plate to bring to room temperature
  • Serve with crackers and sliced apples

Notes

Make your own spin on this recipe with stir-in ingredients of your choosing. Just don't forget the bacon!
Keyword Smoky Sweet & Heat Cheese Ball