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Best Loaded Football Cheese Ball with Easy Pretzel Crust

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A creamy, savory cheese ball shaped like a football and coated in a crunchy pretzel crust, loaded with sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, crispy bacon, and fresh chives. Perfect for game day gatherings and sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 16 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • ½ cup smoked gouda, shredded
  • 6 slices bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
  • 3–4 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups pretzels, crushed into small pieces
  • Crackers of your choice, for serving
  • Fresh veggies (celery sticks, carrot sticks, bell pepper strips), for serving
  • Apple slices, for serving

Instructions

  1. Cook the bacon. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and lay the bacon slices in a single layer. Bake for 12-15 minutes until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool. Once cool, crumble into small pieces.
  2. Soften the cream cheese. Take your cream cheese out of the fridge at least 1 hour before you start. It needs to be at room temperature — soft enough that you can easily press your finger into it.
  3. Mix the base. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer on medium speed until it’s smooth and fluffy — about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with your rubber spatula. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Beat again until everything is well combined.
  4. Add the cheeses. Add the shredded sharp cheddar and smoked gouda to the cream cheese mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined.
  5. Fold in the mix-ins. Using your rubber spatula, fold in the crumbled bacon, sliced green onions, and chopped chives. Stir gently until everything is evenly distributed. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
  6. Shape into a football. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on your work surface. Scrape the cheese mixture onto the center of the plastic wrap. Using the plastic wrap to help you, shape the mixture into a football shape — think of an oval with slightly pointed ends. Wrap it tightly and twist the ends to secure. Place it on a baking sheet or plate.
  7. Chill the cheese ball. Refrigerate the wrapped cheese ball for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
  8. Crush the pretzels. While the cheese ball is chilling, prepare your pretzel crust. Place the pretzels in a zip-top bag and seal it, removing as much air as possible. Use a rolling pin to crush them into small pieces — you want a mix of fine crumbs and tiny chunks for texture. Set aside in a shallow dish or on a plate.
  9. Roll in the crust. When the cheese ball is firm, unwrap it and gently roll it in the crushed pretzels. Use your hands to press the pretzel pieces onto the surface, making sure it’s evenly coated.
  10. Add the final touches. For an extra festive look, you can use a few pretzel sticks to create laces on top of the football. Just press two or three pretzel sticks gently into the top of the cheese ball in a parallel line.
  11. Serve and enjoy. Place the cheese ball on a serving platter surrounded by crackers, fresh veggies, and apple slices. Let it sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving.

Notes

Don’t skip the chilling time — the cheese ball needs to be firm to hold its shape. Use room temperature cream cheese for a smooth mixture. Shred your own cheese for best texture. Crush pretzels right before rolling to keep them crunchy. Make ahead for better flavor; roll in pretzels just before serving.

Nutrition

Keywords: football cheese ball, pretzel crust cheese ball, game day appetizer, loaded cheese ball, bacon cheddar cheese ball, Super Bowl snack

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