Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball Recipe

My Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball is an easy to make appetizer and absolutely scrumptious! It will be the delicious showstopping centerpiece of your next girl’s night, tailgating party, holiday buffet or family gathering.

A Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball is soft and creamy and studded with sweet pops of pineapple that balance the smoky salty bacon and savory Cheddar cheese. There’s even an added burst of tangy sweetness from barbecue sauce.

This easy Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball Recipe is quick to make and comes together in 5 to 7 minutes.

It’s perfect to make ahead and will keep in the fridge up to 4 days. So, you can make a Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball days before your party and have one more thing crossed off your list.

My Pineapple Bacon Cheese Ball is an explosion of palate pleasing textures, too. It’s creamy and crunchy all at the same time!

A Pineapple and Bacon Cheese Ball perks up any snack tray, buffet table or charcuterie board. It can be served as a plain cheese ball or decorated to suit the occasion. (I’ve done it as a pumpkin, for this post.)

I have even stuffed the bacon and pineapple cheese ball mixture into into stalks of celery and cherry tomatoes. It’s an easy, versatile and delicious appetizer.

You’re going to love this flavor-packed and easy cheese ball recipe!

The Ingredients

• Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Bacon
• Cream Cheese
• Crushed Pineapple, very well drained
• Fresh Parsley
• Red Onion
• Barbecue Sauce
  

How to Make a Pineapple Cheese Ball with Bacon

It’s easy to whip up this Pineapple Cheese Ball with Bacon. You’ll only need 5 minutes to grate cheese and stir everything together once the bacon is cooked.

Then shape the Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball into a rough ball in the center of a piece of plastic wrap. Seal it tight and refrigerate for about an hour before trying to decorate it.

The Simple Steps

1. Drain the pineapple. Do this first so that it can be draining while you work on the other ingredients. I drained the entire 15 oz. can and then measured it. I even pushed some liquid out with the back of a spoon. Then I measured the pineapple AFTER it was drained.

2. Cook the bacon until very crisp. Start crisp because it will soften slightly once it sits in the cheese ball. Drain it well and mince into very small pieces.
3. Grate the Cheddar cheese. I used the fine grate side on my box grater. It seems easier to incorporate into the other Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball ingredients when the cheese is smaller.
4. Mince up the onion. Again, keep the pieces small, like the bacon. You want this cheese ball to be spreadable.
5. Once all the grating and mincing are done, toss the softened cream cheese, bacon pieces, onion, pineapple, Cheddar and barbecue sauce into a mixing bowl.
6. Use a wooden spoon to combine everything and be sure it’s all evenly distributed.

7. Place the Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball mixture into the center of a sheet of plastic wrap. Pull up each corner and seal the cheese ball tightly. Make sure it’s fully covered.
8. Refrigerate your Pineapple Cheese Ball with Bacon for at least one hour before trying to decorate it. That gives the softened cream cheese a chance to set up a bit and it will be easier to handle.
9. You can also serve the cheese ball, as is, without decorating it any further. Just chill it until you’re ready to serve it.
10. Your Pineapple and Bacon Cheese Ball will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

How to Decorate a Cheese
Ball to Look Like a Pumpkin

A Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball is colorful and inviting on a cheeseboard, just as it is. But, it’s definitely fun to decorate it, (or any other cheese ball), for the season or the theme of your party.

If you decide you WOULD like to decorate your cheese ball to look like a pumpkin, follow these simple steps. You’ll need: 1 1/2 cups of finely grated Cheddar cheese and the stem of a bell pepper.

Here’s how I decorated my “pumpkin” cheese ball.

Decorating Steps

1. I grated 1 1/2 cups more Sharp Cheddar cheese (with the fine side of the grater) and rolled the chilled cheese ball in the cheese. I kept rolling until the entire Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball was covered in Cheddar cheese and looked like a bright orange ball.
2. Next, I set it on the counter and flattened it slightly to give it more of the short and wide appearance of a pumpkin. And then, using my thumb, I pressed a dimple into the center of the top of the Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball.

3. Then I used the handle of a butter knife to PRESS indentations into the top and sides of the Pineapple and Bacon Cheese Ball, to represent the indentations on the side of a pumpkin. The only tip I need to give you here is to press rather than drag the knife handle. Pressing makes the indentation beautifully, but dragging pulls the cheese away from the outside of the pineapple cheese ball.
4. Once you have created your pumpkin indentations, trim the stem away from a bell pepper and press it into the dimple made in the top of the Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball.
5. Voila! A cheese ball decorated as a pumpkin.

There are lots of other simple and pretty options for cheese ball decorations, too. Simply rolling it in chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans is an attractive presentation and adds additional texture to your Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball.

You can also roll it into a cone shape to form a Christmas Tree and then roll the whole thing in chopped parsley. Decorate with tiny pieces of minced red and yellow bell pepper. You can even cut a yellow bell pepper star for the top.

The final option that comes to mind this morning, is to use whole almonds, still in their brown skins, to make a pine cone shaped Pineapple Bacon Cheese Ball. I haven’t tried that one, yet, but I’ve seen pictures. If I do one, I’ll post it for you.

Party! Eat Cheese!

I hope you get a chance to make this easy and delicious Bacon and Pineapple Cheese Ball recipe for your next gathering. If you do get a chance to try the recipe and enjoy the results, please consider coming back to let me know.

Just leave a comment at the bottom of the page with your 5 star rating. 5 star ratings make it easier for others to find our recipe in a Google search.

Thanks so much! You’re a rock star! Go forth and make cheese balls!

The Recipe

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