mozzarella cheese slicecut into strips for the laces
Instructions
Cut or chop bacon into small pieces/strips and sauté on medium-high until crispy, then set aside (note: you can cook the bacon needed for the topping at the same time, but make sure you divide half for the topping).
With a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until light and soft - this makes it easier to mix in all the other ingredients. To save time, you can also start this step while the bacon is cooking.
Add in sour cream and beat one more time.
Fold in the remaining ingredients: 2 cups cheddar cheese, bacon bits, green onions, pecans, and ranch packet.
Directly on a cutting board or with parchment paper down (I used parchment paper, then cut tightly around it, and covered it with dippers), drop the cheese into the center and shape into a football with a spatula.
For the topping, randomly add the whole pecans first, then the halves, pressing in slightly.
Mix the finely chopped pecans with the bacon bits and scoop them on, lightly pressing into the ball to secure. Do this until it is mostly covered. You can gently lift and shake any loose ones and then add extra where needed.
Slice mozzarella into 4 small strips and 1 longer strip. Arrange into shape of football laces.
Enjoy immediately or place in the fridge for later. You will want it to sit out for about 30 minutes prior to eating for the best texture.
Notes
We used a variety of differently chopped pecans to make this recipe resemble a cheese ball. Using the same bag of whole pecans, we used 12 whole pecans, 6 pecan halves, and around 3 Tablespoons of chopped pecans. This mixture added texture, but you can easily chop/halve/or use whole pecans as you see fit.
I always prefer to use freshly shredded cheese over the pre-shredded, as the texture and flavor are much better - but pre-shredded cheese will still work just fine.
Ranch seasoning mix adds a lot of flavor to this cheese ball. If you prefer, you can use taco seasoning or opt for a blend of your favorite seasonings instead.