The Big CHEESE

Get your next party started with the ultimate crowd-pleaser: a cheese ball!

Bacon-Ranch Cheese Ball

Prep time: 20 min 

Total time: 1 hr 50 min

Serves: 8 to 10

1 Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning, until crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

2 Combine the cream cheese, cheddar, sour cream, ranch seasoning, scallion whites and 2 of the bacon slices in a food processor and process until well combined, about 30 seconds.

3 Chop the remaining 6 slices of bacon and mix with the scallion greens on a plate; spread it out. Scoop the cheese mixture onto the plate with a rubber spatula. Coat your hands with cooking spray and shape the cheese mixture into a ball. Roll and press the ball in the bacon-scallion mixture to coat.

4 Refrigerate the cheese ball for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers.