Bacon Horseradish Cheddar Cheese Ball

Ingredients
¹⁄₂ pound bacon, cut into pieces
2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¹⁄₂ cup topping such as parsley, almond pieces, or crisp crumbled bacon

Instructions
1. Heat large skillet over medium heat.  Add bacon and sauté until fully cooked and starting to crisp.  Drain on paper towels or in sieve set over bowl.

2. Process bacon, cheddar, cream cheese, horseradish, Worcestershire, garlic, and cayenne in food processor until smooth.

3. Transfer cheese mixture to center of large sheet of plastic wrap and tightly wrap, shaping cheese into rough ball. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. (Cheese ball can be refrigerated for 2 days.)

4. Once cheese ball is firm, reshape as necessary to form smooth ball. Unwrap and roll in topping to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Serve with crackers, bread, etc. 

Comments
Art’s favorite holiday treat, aside from Pumpkin Bread, is the cheese ball.  He requested that I make one for Junk Food Day 2011 and, lucky for him, I’d just seen a recipe for cheese balls in the 2010 Cook’s Country Annual.  I modified the recipe a bit since we wanted it to include bacon and horseradish.  I also neglected to coat the ball in the end since I didn’t want to cook up more bacon having used the other half pound in Deviled Eggs.  When I make these again, I’ll cook up a pound of bacon just for the cheese ball, or pick up some parsley for the coating. 

While not very pretty without the coating, Art tells me that this is the best cheese ball he’s ever had and I’d have to agree.  It was grand and I predict it will become a holiday tradition in our family.

Edit: You can also just spread this into a container, like a bowl, instead of making it into a ball.

Cook’s Country 2010