Carrot Shaped Bacon Cheddar Ranch Cheeseball
Bacon cheddar ranch cheeseball shaped like a carrots makes a delicious and festive springtime appetizer. Full of creamy goodness, salty bacon and ranch flavor, this delicious dip will be a hit!
Servings: 12
Calories: 245kcal
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz blocks cream cheese softened
- 2 tbsp ranch dressing mix powder
- 5 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 6 strips bacon cooked crisp & crumbled
- 1 bunch fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients EXCEPT for 2 cups of the cheddar cheese to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, blend it all together until smooth & creamy.
- Transfer the cheese mixture to a large sheet of plastic wrap, and roughly shape it into a curved triangle/rounded carrot.
- Wrap the shaped cream cheese up tightly with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
- Around 30 minutes before you're ready to serve, gently unwrap the cheeseball and transfer it to your desired serving tray or plate.
- Press the remaining finely shredded cheddar cheese into the cheeseball all over it's visible surfaces. Push the stems of parsley into the center of the carrot 'top' so that it fully resembled a carrot.
- Serve & enjoy!
Notes
- Check out The Best Basic Cheese Ball Recipe for lots of helpful suggestions about making cheeseballs in general.
- Bacon is optional and you can omit it if you are vegetarian. You could also add finely chopped spinach for iron & nutrients.
- You could shape this into a standard cheeseball and serve it year round. OR, with a couple simple edible garnishes transform it into a little chick instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 556mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 878IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 347mg | Iron: 1mg