Cheese balls are always a real crowd pleaser wether you are serving them at a holiday gathering or for game day. Today I’m sharing an easy recipe for Spinach Artichoke Cheese Ball that was inspired by my favorite dip.
Hi everyone!! It’s Susanne from New South Charm back again this month with a recipe I’m sure you’re going to love!
Recently we had a family gathering and I set out several appetizer. Ok, so honestly I set out waaaay too many appetizers including my personal favorites Garlic Parmesan Shrimp and these Honey Garlic Chicken Wings.
However, this Spinach Artichoke Cheese Ball was by far the favorite. How do I know it was the favorite you ask? Well, it was the only that was completely gone. Even the platter was scraped clean. It was that good.
While this cheese ball is really easy to put together I do have a couple tips to make it even easier. First, you’ll want to soften the cream cheese to room temperature. If you’re in a hurry you can dump the block of cream cheese in a bowl and pop it in the microwave for 10 second this should soften the cream cheese but not melt it. My second tip is to use wax paper to shape the cheese ball. For me wax paper is easier because the cheese doesn’t stick to the wax paper like it does with plastic wrap.
I served this Spinach Artichoke Cheese Ball with crackers but I think it would be great with tortilla chips or toast points. No matter how you choose to serve it this easy appetizer is sure to be a hit at your next party, game night, family gathering or just because you are a cheeseball lover like me. This will be a hit all the way around, especially with its fun and unique spin on the ever popular spinach dip!
Spinach Artichoke Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 5 pieces bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
- 1 package 0.4 oz ranch seasoning dip mix
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 cup artichoke hearts drain and chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped spinach defrosted and wrung dry
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper minced
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Topping:
- 5 pieces bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon red bell pepper minced
Instructions
- In a bowl combine cream cheese, bacon, ranch seasoning dip mix, mayonnaise, artichoke hearts, spinach, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and red bell pepper.
- Place the mixture on a large piece of wax paper and then shape into a ball. Wrap well in wax paper and refrigerate for three hours or overnight
- To make topping combine the bacon, parsley, red bell peppers and parmesan cheese in a small bowl then gently press into the outside of the cheese ball. Serve immediately or wrap well and then keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Serving suggestions: serve with tortilla chips, crackers or bread
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Candy
The cheese ball turned out well but I did have difficulty with instructions because of the measurements. I used a package of spinach, a can of artichokes a half package of ranch mix and did not add the red pepper. Also I did not top with any of the extra ingredients because the look and taste was good without them.
A bit more calories than I normally would serve but it is St. Patrick’s Day and I thought this would be a great appetizer to take to a party.
Rebecca Magill
Would this be ok to make a day in advance?