RECITAL CHEESE BALL--MEXICAN FLAVORS, PLENTY OF CRUNCH WITH DELIGHTFUL COLORS ROLLED IN PECANS AND BACON

My Grandson, Bradley, and his "intended" Jera are incredibly talented musicians.  Whenever they give a personal concert or one for their students, I always want to be there.  Bringing the food for the receptions after the concerts/recitals is a great joy for me.

Jera at her Senior Recital-Grand Valley State University.

I like to make cookies and bar cookies for easy eating at the receptions; however, I also like to have a savory treat.  At an earlier recital my    Retro Crunchy Cheese Ball had been very popular.  http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2011/12/4-crunchy-vegetables-and-3-flavorful.html


I wanted to make something like my old cheese ball recipe for Jera's Senior Recital, but different, so I made a two lists.  In one column, I listed cheeses.  In a second column, I listed crunchy ingredients.  Then I decided on a theme or flavor.  Since my crunchy list tilted toward Mexican I decided to eliminated celery as I don't see much of it in Southwestern recipes.  I have a big jar of sun-dried tomatoes in the refrigerator that I want to use and I thought they would give a good flavor and great color.   I crossed cheeses and crunchies off my lists until I thought I had a nice blend of flavors and colors. 

Jera and Bradley, so beautiful, so talented, and they like my cooking!  What joy they are.

RECITAL CHEESE BALL--MEXICAN FLAVORS, PLENTY OF CRUNCH WITH DELIGHTFUL COLORS ROLLED IN PECANS AND BACON


8 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz. Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 to 2 T sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
2 to 3 T sweet bell pepper, chopped
2 to 3 T green onions, chopped
1 (4oz) can green chiles, drained and chopped
4 to 6 slices bacon, chopped and fried
1 to 2 dashes garlic powder
Sweet Hungarian Paprika, or just paprika
Chili powder
1 (2oz) pkg. pecan bits or chips
Assorted crackers for serving

Ingredients:  Sharp Cheddar cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes in oil, green onions, sweet bell pepper, green chiles, garlic powder, chili powder, sweet paprika, bacon, and pecan bits or chips.

With a box grater or food processor, grate Cheddar and Pepper Jack cheese. Put grated cheese in a mixing bowl and add softened cream cheese. Beat until well blended with an electric mixer. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, green chiles, and green onions. Add chopped vegetables to cheese mixture and carefully stir to blend. Add garlic powder and stir to blend. Chop bacon into strips and fry until crispy. Drain well. Add half the bacon to the cheese mixture. Mix well. Form cheese mixture into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When cheese mixture is firm and chilled, sprinkle a piece of non-stick aluminum with chile powder and paprika. Roll cheese ball in mixture.  After

rolling the ball in the chile and paprika, put pecans and the remaining bacon on the foil.  Roll cheese ball in the bacon/pecan mixture until well covered.  Wrap ball in the foil and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld.   

   

 

With a food processor or box grater, grate the cheese.

Clean bell pepper and green onions.  Chop sun-dried tomatoes in oil, bell pepper, and green onions.

Slice bacon into strips and fry until crisp.  Drain well.  My bad, I don't have a frying bacon picture.

With an electric mixer, beat together grated cheeses and softened cream cheese.

Blended cheese mixture.

Chopped vegetables.


 

Add chopped vegetables to blended cheese mixture and carefully blend.

Add canned drained chopped green chiles.

Add half to two-thirds of the crisp, well-drained bacon strips.  Reserve the rest for the topping.  Carefully blend well.

Form cheese mixture into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until firm.

I like to roll the outside coating on the cheese ball using non-stick aluminum foil.  Unwrap the cheese ball.

 

On non-stick aluminum foil, sprinkle chili powder and paprika. 

Roll the cheese ball in the chili powder/paprika mixture.

Remove cheese ball from foil.  Put pecan pieces and remaining bacon on the foil.

Roll the cheese ball in the pecan/bacon mixture.

Coat cheese ball well.

Wrap cheese ball in foil.  Refrigerate overnight, if possible, so the flavors can meld.

Serve the cheese ball with assorted crackers.

:( not a very good picture taken at the reception of a bite of cheese ball on a cracker.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!! 

Not the picture, but the cheese ball.