Bacon Cheese Bites
Great appetizers, these bacon cheese bites will draw your guests back to the snack table over and over again.
Three kinds of cheese mixed with pecans and spices rolled in crispy bacon and more pecans for an absolutely addictive appetizer.
I use chicken bacon when making these to lower the fat content, but applewood smoked is also a favourite. My guests always love that these come with their own edible sticks.
They are easy to pop in your mouth (perhaps too easy) and easy to prepare. You just have to give the cream cheese mixture enough time in the refrigerator to thicken and start to solidify. This will help them hold their shape while rolling in the coating mixture.
This recipe should make at least 24 balls depending on the size. Without the pretzel sticks these bacon cheese balls are keto.
Ingredients
(Makes 24 servings)
6 slices chicken bacon, fried and finely chopped
1 package (250g) light cream cheese, cubed
1 cup extra old white cheddar, shredded
1/2 cup stilton, crumbled
1 stalk green onion, finely chopped, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped, divided
24 pretzel sticks
Directions
In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add the bacon slices and fry until crisp. Transfer to a paper-lined plate and allow fat to be absorbed. Set aside.
Using a food processor, add the cream cheese, cheddar, stilton, half the chopped green onion, garlic, onion powder, paprika, salt, ground black pepper and half the chopped pecans. Pulse repeatedly to combine the ingredients.
Line a platter or sheet pan with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out balls of the cream cheese mixture and place them onto the plater. Cover loosely with clingwrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
In a shallow bowl, crumble the bacon into fine pieces. Add the remaining green onion and chopped pecans. Mix well. Carefully roll each cheese ball in the bacon mixture, insert a pretzel stick and transfer to a serving platter. Tent with clingwrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until it's almost time to serve.
Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
total calories = 91 | total fat = 7.56g | saturated fat = 2.83g | cholesterol = 8.75mg | sodium = 153.18mg | net carbohydrates = 1.70g | dietary fibre = 0.31g | sugars = 0.48g | protein = 4.18g
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