These delicious bite-size cheese balls are easy and can be made ahead of time.
Prep Time: 30 mins • Chill time: 4 hours or overnight • Cook Time: 10 mins • Makes: 12 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 1 4-ounce jar diced pimentos, drained
- 1 to 2 jalapeños, minced (seeds & membranes removed), optional
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 18 ounces bacon, cooked until crisp and finely diced
- 1 ½ cups pecans, toasted and finely chopped
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
- Pretzel sticks
DIRECTIONS
- Combine cheese, mayonnaise, garlic and onion powder, cayenne pepper, pimento, and jalapenos in the bowl of an electric mixer and blend at medium speed until well combined. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- In a medium shallow bowl, combine diced bacon, chopped pecans, and chopped parsley. Using a spoon or a small cookie scoop, form heaping tablespoons of the pimento cheese mixture into balls.
- Roll each pimento cheese ball in the mixture of bacon, pecans, and parsley, pressing the coating into the cheese so that it adheres.
- Refrigerate cheese balls until firm, and keep them chilled until ready to serve. Just before serving, skewer each cheese ball with a pretzel stick.
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