Parmesan-Cream Cheese Ball

Sunday Dinner

Parmesan-Cream Cheese Ball

Southern Fried Chicken
Rice and Gravy
Greens Beans
Creamed Corn

Strawberry Dream Cake

It is the first Sunday with my new appliances and I thought the best way to christen them would be with this meal. These are some good Southern favorites, all of which I will share in the future. Today I am sharing the recipe for the appetizer.

Cheese ball. These two words are normally used derisively in the description of someone or something. The emcee at the awards dinner with his bad jokes and saccharine sentiments–cheeseball. The guy obviously past his prime still rocking the mullet and Oakleys at the hair band triple bill at the State Fair–big time cheeseball. 

I don’t know how this descriptor came into use. I do know that a cheese ball can taste really good. This one offers plenty of taste and crowd pleasing attributes to make it a good fit for most any occasion. Cream cheese, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, and bacon–need I say more?! Any leftovers are wonderful slathered on a piece of bread with a big slice of tomato. So, give this cheese ball a chance. It’s so good that it just might make you reconsider the term.

Parmesan-Cream Cheese Ball

Prep: 30 minsRefrigeration Time: 3 hrsTotal: 3 hrs 30 mins Servings: 20 Cheese and bacon are crowd pleasing flavors making this appetizer an excellent choice to serve at any occasion!

Equipment

• Hand mixer with flex beaters

Ingredients 

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Cayenne pepper to taste, optional
• ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions 

1. Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and parmesan cheese in a large bowl until well blended. Stir in the bacon and green onions. Add the black pepper, salt and cayenne pepper if using. Using a rubber spatula, gather the cheese mixture into a rough ball.
2. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and scatter the parsley all over. Transfer the ball to the plastic wrap. Tightly wrap the cheese ball in the plastic wrap making sure the parsley adheres, twisting at one end to form a tight ball. Chill the ball for at least 3 hours. When ready to serve, remove the plastic and place the ball on a serving plate. Serve with assorted crackers and vegetables. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 116kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 297mg, Potassium: 101mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 173IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 98mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.