Jalapeño Popper Cheese Ball

A Superbowl-style appetizer to bring home a touchdown.

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Duking it out with mozzarella sticks for favorite finger food, jalapeño poppers are a pure party staple ready for a ravenous crowd, and the jalapeño popper cheese ball simplifies, improves and excites the original classic recipe.

Legend has it that jalapeño poppers were a delicious mutation from chile relleno, a poblano pepper stuffed with cheese and lightly fried in egg whites and corn flour. Some genius swapped out a poblano for the jalapeño, left in the cheese, breaded and deep fried the morsel, wrapped it with bacon and in 1972, the first jalapeño popper appeared on a Texan menu, listed as an Armadillo Egg. In 1985, the first frozen poppers appeared in the supermarket, and they have gained in popularity ever since. Joey Chestnut, legendary competitive eater and Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion, set a record of eating 118 jalapeño poppers in 10 minutes at the University of Arizona in 2006.

Now, to this jalapeño popper cheese ball. The creamy goodness of the original popper is still intact with gobs of cream cheese, and the garlic powder and green onions provide a refreshing tang. The bites of bacon give a smoky counterpoint to the cheesy bonanza and bring this dish back to its Armadillo Egg roots. The most difficult part in the preparation of a popper would be the frying; this cheese ball removes that element and replaces it with mixing the ingredients and placing it in the refrigerator to set. Easy.

Is This Jalapeño Popper Cheese Ball Healthy?

The substitutions for this are endless. Vegan cheeses are found in supermarket chains, as is turkey bacon or plant-based Facon. However, this is never going to make the Food Pyramid. And it shouldn’t! This is a guilty pleasure, designed to be shared with friends while the music is bumping and the grill is steaming. Enjoy yourself!

The Heat is On

The spicy factor varies wildly with each individual jalapeño pepper, with the pungency recorded as anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000 units on the Scoville heat scale. For context, Scoville bills a classic red bell pepper at 0 units and the Carolina Reaper at an ear-steaming 1.5 to 2.2 million fiery units. Know your audience when you decide on how much jalapeño to add or subtract! The chicken tinga I made for my mother and all her friends at her 65th birthday party accidentally became 5 Alarm Chicken Tinga when I added in too many peppers, and I was given the nearly-untouched leftovers. Beware! Things to note: red jalapeños are typically hotter than green ones, and the higher the number of scars on a green pepper, the hotter that pepper will be.

INGREDIENTS

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 jalapeños, finely chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix

Combine cream cheese, cheddar, bacon, jalapeños, and seasonings.

Shape

Form mixture into a ball using plastic wrap and chill.

Coat

Roll in extra toppings before serving.

Devour!

FAQs & Tips

How to Make Ahead and Store?

This jalapeño popper cheese ball can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge. But, do not roll the cream cheese mixture in onions and bacon until you are ready to serve. The leftover cheese ball will stay good in the fridge for a midnight snack for the next 3-5 days.

Beware of pepper residue!

While chopping, either wear gloves or be careful not to touch your eyes or face; a hot pepper can be particularly unforgiving.

are there any recipe variations?

Replace the bacon with sausage and it becomes an homage to an A.B.T. or Atomic Buffalo Turd, a popper derivation born out of American Barbecue culture, usually slathered in barbecue sauce.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this cheese ball with crackers, carrots, celery, chips, pretzels, apples, you name it. It’s tasty any way! This firecracker of an appetizer is going to light up your party.

For other twists on the original popper, check out FFF’s plethora of creative versions, including Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers, Jalapeño Popper Chicken, and Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Potato Poppers,

For ideas to serve alongside the cheese ball, a Cabbage Salad would be a refreshing and light accompaniment. However, if you’re in full party mode, nothing beats good old Homemade Guacamole.