Just the recipe

Sriracha and Bacon Cheese Ball

Serves 12

INGREDIENTS

For the sriracha chips:

1/2 cup sriracha

For the cheese ball:

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves, plus more whole leaves for garnish

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons Sriracha

8 slices of bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped, divided

Crackers, for serving

PROCEDURE

For the sriracha chips:

Preheat the oven to 200°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a rubber spatula or bench scraper to spread the Sriracha in a thin layer over the baking sheet. Dehydrate until it’s completely dried, about 80 minutes. Remove the dehydrated Sriracha from the oven and let it cool, then break it into rough ½-inch pieces and set aside.

For the cheese ball:

1. In a large mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir together the cream cheese, shredded cheddar, chopped cilantro leaves, salt, sriracha and half of the bacon until everything is evenly mixed. Shape the mixture into a ball.

2. On a large plate or baking sheet, combine the remainder of the bacon and the Sriracha chips. Roll the cheese ball in the bacon and Sriracha chips until it’s thoroughly and evenly coated.

3. Wrap the cheese ball tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. When you’re ready to serve, unwrap the cheese ball, garnish with cilantro leaves if you want, and serve with crackers.