Food and Recipes Appetizers Bacon-Ranch Cheese Ball Is The Best Way To Start A Party Be the first to rate & review! A bacon-ranch cheese ball is the tastiest combination of all things we really love: creamy cheese, salty bacon, and tangy ranch dressing mix. It truly tastes like your favorite Cobb salad, just minus all the vegetables! Each bite is filled with lots of the buttermilk-garlic ranch flavor and lots of little chewy-crispy bacon bits to enjoy. Give the cheese ball time to chill in the fridge if you can, before adding the pecans. This way, the flavors will deepen. Adding the pecans right before serving will keep them crunchy. Serve with crackers, celery and carrot sticks, and radishes. By Ann Taylor Pittman Ann Taylor Pittman For 20 years, Ann Taylor Pittman built a career of creating healthy recipes at Cooking Light magazine, where she most recently served as Executive Editor. She is the recipient of two James Beard Foundation Awards: a feature writing award and a cookbook award. She is now a freelancer specializing in recipe development, writing, and video. Follow her on Instagram. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on July 2, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Active Time: 12 mins Total Time: 12 mins Servings: 8 Ingredients 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 2 1/2 Tbsp. ranch dressing mix 3 Tbsp. finely chopped scallions 4 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded 5 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled 3/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans Directions Gather ingredients: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Stir cream cheese: Place cream cheese in a medium bowl; stir with a silicone spatula until smooth. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Add remaining ingredients: Add dressing mix and stir until well combined. Add green onions, cheddar, and bacon; stir until thoroughly combined. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Shape cheese ball: With damp hands, roll mixture into a ball. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Cover cheese ball in pecans: Place pecans in a shallow bowl; roll cheese ball in pecans, turning to coat evenly. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Rate It Print