Healthy Jalapeño Popper Cheese Ball

Good Monday morning! I know football season hasn't been the same this year and tailgating and parties look a lot different, but I figured I'd share a healthier option for a cheese ball for those of you staying at home looking to still enjoy the tradition. I decided to make this for Chris a couple weeks ago so he had something fun to munch on during his game. It's a super easy, minimal ingredient recipe and because it uses Neufchatel cheese, turkey bacon, and low-fat shredded cheese, it's a great way to enjoy a traditional appetizer with some added nutrient density- which this girl is alllllll about! 

Chris and I have been laying low and not going out to eat since the pandemic started. We try to grocery shop every two weeks or so and have been doing really well with that. It was a bit of a learning curve, but now we are more apt to preparing meals using more shelf stable items and utilizing the freezer more than ever before. 

I wanted to highlight my favorite turkey bacon (the only turkey bacon or ANY bacon for that matter that we buy), that tastes even better than regular pork bacon and Chris even backs me up on this one so you know this stuff is good. It's wide sliced & tastes amazing. Columbus Meats has delicious products to include deli meat, but this turkey bacon takes the cake. We get it in a frozen 4 pack at Costco and store it in the freezer. It was a great addition to this recipe. If you haven't tried it yet, look for it and give it a try. 

Ingredients: 

1 box Neufchatel cheese- softened (8 oz)

1 Tbsp sour cream

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 cup shredded low-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese (reserve 1/4 cup)

5 slices crispy cooked Columbus Meat turkey bacon- chopped (reserve half) 

1 jalapeño- minced (reserve half) 

1/4 cup chopped green onions (reserve half) 

How to:

Use a hand mixer on medium speed and beat Neufchatel cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper until smooth and creamy. 

Add 3/4 cup shredded cheese, half of the chopped turkey bacon, half of the minced jalapeño (I used some habanero from our garden since Chris loves spice), and half of the chopped green onions and mix on low until just combined. 

Combine your reserved cheese, turkey bacon, jalapeño, & green onions in a zipper storage bag and place in refrigerator. 

Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on flat surface. Spoon the cheese into a ball shape- I used my hands as well, and place in the center of the plastic wrap. Bring up the sides of the wrap around the cheese ball to cover. Refrigerate overnight to firm up. 

Remove cheese ball about 20 mins prior to serving. Spread reserved cheese, turkey bacon, jalapeño, & green onions in the zipper storage bag on a large plate. Unwrap cheese ball and roll in reserved topping. 

Serve with your favorite crunchy snacks and breads. 

And yes, I caution to use gloves when you are processing any type of spicy pepper. I learned my lesson once when slicing up habaneros for Chris once. I diced them up & washed my hands then touched my eyes at some point and I paid for it. This turned out really great and was enough to last a few days. Have a great week all!