I came across this recipe and knew that I had to make it for the super bowl party that we were attending. Words cannot describe how good it was. The only changes that I made to the original recipe were that I substituted minced green onions for the cilantro, and I probably used about 2/3 of the crispy sriracha. It still had a decent kick, but it is easier to add, than take away. Another note: when you are baking the sriracha, the air will get spicy, so if your eyes get irritated at all from spicy food, you might want to open a window while baking.
Sriracha and Bacon Cheese Ball
via Buzzfeed
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sriracha
- 2 8oz packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup minced green onions
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 slices of bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped
- crackers, for serving
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a rubber spatula to spread the sriracha in a thin layer over the baking sheet. Bake until it’s completely dried, about 80 minutes. Removed the dehydrated sriracha from the oven and let it cool, then break it into pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a spoon to stir together the cream cheese, cheddar, green onions, salt, a couple of tbsp of the dried sriracha, and half of the bacon. Stir until everything is evenly mixed. Shape the mixture into a ball.
- On a large plate or baking sheet, combine the remaining bacon and the dried sriracha. Roll the cheese ball in this mixture until thoroughly coated.
- Wrap the cheese ball tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serve with crackers.