Cheddar Bacon Cheeseball

There are not many things better than the combination of bacon and cheese.  My mom would always make this cheeseball recipe around the holidays and it has always been one of my favorite snacks.  The original recipe came from an 80's church cookbook (don't all the best recipes come from old church cookbooks?!), but I have slowly changed it up over the years.  It might not be the prettiest of appetizers to bring to a party, but you can be sure everyone will eat it right up!  It's addictive and so good with bagel chips, pita chips, crackers, or chips!  Even better, it only has a handful of ingredients and is super (and quick) to make!

Here are your ingredients:

1 lb. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup mayo

1/2 cup chopped green onion

2 ounces slivered almonds

6 slices of bacon

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

I like to shred the cheese myself, just because I think freshly shredded cheese has a better texture (also it doesn't have all of the junk they put in packaged shredded cheese).  I used 8 ounces sharp cheddar and 8 ounces sharp white cheddar, but you can feel free to mix different varieties of cheese.  

Finely chop about 1/2 a cup of green onions.

Next, cook your bacon (I use about 6 slices and cooked it on the stovetop in a skillet).  When it's cooked through, set it on a paper towel to cool and pat off the grease.  After it has cooled off, you can chop your bacon into bits.

Now you can gather all your prepared ingredients and begin mixing them together in a large bowl.  I first added all the dry ingredients: the cheese, green onion, bacon, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and almonds.  Add one cup of mayo (I prefer Duke's mayonnaise-the BEST!), and stir all your ingredients together until well combined.

You can eat on this for up to a week as long as you keep it refrigerated.  You can also serve this warm by popping it in the oven at 350 degrees (in an oven safe dish) for about 10-15 minutes, or until bubbly.  The bacon and almonds bring the perfect amount of crunch, while the green onions add a touch of brightness.  It's the perfect snack or appetizer year round, and just about everyone (even picky eaters!) will love it!