Bacon Sriracha Football Cheese Ball

Celebrate the big game with a delicious cheese ball, featuring creamy, Sriracha gouda cheese and candied bacon in every bite.

Active time: 40 min | Yield: 1 cheese ball

Ingredients

• 1 pound thick-cut bacon
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces (2 cups) Roth Sriracha Gouda cheese, shredded
• 1/2 package (4 ounces) Crystal Farms Original Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 slice (1 ounce) Weyauwega Star Dairy Mozzarella cheese, cut into thin strips
• Assorted vegetables and pretzels

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a lightly greased baking rack on an aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
2. Arrange bacon strips in a single layer on rack; rub with brown sugar.
3. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Cool completely.
5. Crumble bacon; cover and refrigerate.
6. Meanwhile, beat the gouda, cream cheese, butter, green onion, soy sauce, garlic powder and pepper in a large bowl until mixture is combined. Transfer to plastic wrap; shape with wrap into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
7. Shape cheese ball into a football. Rewrap; refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
8. Press bacon onto football just before serving. Place mozzarella on football for laces.
9. Serve with vegetables and pretzels.

Notes

Too spicy? Substitute a mild Wisconsin gouda cheese. Shredded Wisconsin pepper jack cheese would also work in this recipe.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin