It’s tailgating season, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and that means FOOD! While cheeseballs are a party staple, I decided to try making individual mini cheeseballs for a recent get-together.
I repurposed my favorite cheeseball recipe to make these cute mini cheeses balls that are not only easy to make but are also delicious and fun to eat.
They can be made a day or two ahead saving you from last minute chaos in the kitchen.
- 10 slices bacon
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened (2 8-ounce packages)
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (or any seasoning you like)
- 1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped finely (or 2 tablespoons dried chives)
- 1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped
- 24 pretzel sticks
Fry the bacon until crispy, then crumble finely.
In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, cheddar, Cajun seasoning, chives, and bacon.
Form the mixture in to 24 small balls.
Put the chopped pecans in a shallow dish and roll each ball to coat. Press down a little to get the pecans to stick to the ball if you need to.
Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Let the cheese balls come up to room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, then insert a pretzel stick into each one.
HINTS:
- If you want to make them vegetarian, substitute bread crumbs for the bacon. Saute ½ cup bread crumbs in olive oil until they just start to brown, then add 1 teaspoon each of paprika and chili powder.
- If you don’t have Cajun seasoning, or you want a different flavor, substitute whichever one you like, or use garlic powder, salt, and pepper if you prefer.
- If you want to add a little heat, add a quarter teaspoon, or more, of red chili flakes.
- Substitute parsley for the chives.
- If you don’t want to make individual cheese balls, go ahead, and make one big cheese ball instead and serve with crackers.
