Are you looking for a great game day or holiday party appetizer? This French onion cheese ball is packed full of flavor from crispy bacon to loads of cheese to the crispy onion crust. It’s easy to pull together, and you can even make it a few days ahead of time. You’ll be asked to bring this to every gathering you attend!
The great thing about cheese balls is that they’re easy to put together, but you do need to prepare and give it enough time to chill and firm up in the refrigerator. So it’s really the perfect make-ahead appetizer—just leave the crispy coating off until you’re ready to serve.
That means that you can make this French Onion Cheese Ball up to 3-5 days in advance and just let it hang out in the fridge until your party.
6 Tips for Making a Great Cheese Ball
You can jump to the recipe below, but if you’ve never made a cheese ball before, here are some pointers to keep in mind no matter what kind of cheese ball you’re making.
1. Start with room temperature ingredients.
Pull the cheeses out of the fridge about an hour before starting. Room-temperature cheese is much easier to work with as far as blending the ingredients and shaping the cheese ball.
2. Stick to soft cheeses.
Don’t even try making a cheese ball with crumbly cheeses like feta or Parmesan. I mean, you can TRY to do it, but you may have a hard time. Cheese balls are easiest to mix and shape when using soft cheeses like cream cheese, Swiss, mozzarella, and cheddar.
3. Wrap the cheese ball tightly before refrigerating.
And we mean tighten that baby up with Saran wrap so that there’s no way it’ll unravel. Not only does wrapping the cheese ball help its shape solidify, but it keeps it from spoiling and getting hard in the refrigerator.
4. Let it chill.
Cheese balls are tasty. It’s hard to resist, sitting there in the fridge, but resist you must, at least for a few hours. We recommend letting the cheese ball chill for at least 4 hours, but overnight or for a day is even better. This not only gives it time to firm up, but it helps all the flavors come together, too.
5. Set it out for at least half an hour before serving.
To make the cheese ball scoopable and spreadable, it needs to set out for about half an hour before serving. If you serve it straight from the fridge, it’s going to be a little too firm for thin crackers, and it’ll be too cold to be appetizing.
6. Apply the crunchy coating last minute.
We said it above, but it bears repeating. Whether the crispy coating is onions (like it is here), nuts, bacon, etc., wait until last minute to roll it around in the crunchy stuff. If you roll it in the crunchy topping too soon, it’ll get soft and mushy over time, and no one wants a soft, mushy cheese ball.
How to Make a French Onion Cheese Ball
French Onion Cheese Ball
This French onion cheese ball is a crazy delicious appetizer that's perfect for parties. It's chock full of cream cheese, bacon, and onions, and rolled in crispy fried onions for a crunchy exterior.
Ingredients
- 1 diced large onion
- 1/2 lb bacon 9 6-8 strips ) cooked and chopped
- 1- 8 oz cream cheese brick
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
- 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. Cajun spice
- 1 1/2 cup French's Crispy Fried Onions chopped
Instructions
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Cut raw bacon into small chunks cook over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked.
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Remove from pan and place on a paper towel cover plate to drain grease.
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Allow the bacon to cool on a paper towel; set aside.
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Add onion, olive oil to the bacon frying pan and season with salt and pepper.
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Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 15-20 minutes.
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Remove from heat and cool.
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Add the bacon, cream cheese, sour cream, swiss cheese, and spices to a large bowl of a stand mixer.
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Mix until well combined.
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Add the cooled onions, mix until completely mixed in.
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Place the cheese mixture in the center and on top of plastic wrap.
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Then gently pull the plastic wrap together to form a ball.
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Form the cheese mixture into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap to chill overnight.
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When ready to serve, remove the cheese ball from the fridge and roll it in the crispy fried onions.
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe for our French Onion Cheese Ball, we’d love if you’d pin and share it with your friends.
And if you’re looking for more game day recipes, check out our 3 Ingredient Cocktail Wieners and 3-Ingredient Sweet and Spicy Crockpot BBQ Meatballs.
