Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays. Not because of the Easter Bunny with his fun Easter Eggs (decorating or hunt), nor his fun Easter Baskets, but because we get to celebrate the death and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Since the passing of my son from cancer in October 2017, this time of year brings me renewed hope as I consider being together with him again because of that sacrifice.
With the recent 18-month anniversary of his passing, I’ve been doing things to find and create happiness amidst my grief. Watching things we laughed together while watching, doing things we loved to do together, and eating things he loved to eat have been our nightly routine this entire month. It was his love of Jalapeños that brings this post to you today.
How grateful I am for my Savior, my son, and tastes that transport me back to cherished memories with my Caden. ENJOY!
INGREDIENTS FOR JALAPEÑO POPPER CHEESE BALL
Gather all of the ingredients. This is going to go fast!
- Cream Cheese, softened
- Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- Bacon, cooked and diced (or store-bought, like mine)
- 2 Jalapeños, seeded and diced (to taste)
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Nacho Cheese flavored Doritos, crushed
- Parsley bunch (garnish)
- Crackers
Begin by crushing your Doritos into a fine almost-powder. I didn’t immediately start crushing the entire bag, instead crushing a handful at a time until I figured I had enough for my desired end result. I ended up using half of a 9 ounce bag.
Set aside.
Next, wash and dry the 2 jalapeños. Because the juices and seeds of jalapeños have the potential to burn your skin, I recommend using either latex or rubber gloves to seed and dice.
Once you’ve diced them to your desired size, add them to a medium mixing bowl with 16 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese (we love Sharp, but any cheddar would work), 4.3 ounces cooked, chopped bacon, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon onion powder.
Mix well. You could use a stand or hand mixer here, but with cream cheese that is softened, I found it just as easy to use a wooden spoon.
Once all ingredients are incorporated evenly, place mixture on a sheet of plastic wrap.
Using the plastic wrap, press and mold mixture into your desired shape. Because I wanted it to fit on this plate, as well as look proportioned nicely with the parsley garnish, I would shape and mold and then lay it on the plate to make sure I had gotten it just right.
My sister made this recipe for us for a Halloween party this year, shaping hers into a cute pumpkin with a jalapeño stem acting as the pumpkin stem. Super cute!
As soon as you’ve achieved your desired size and shape, you’re ready for the last step.
Cover your Jalapeno Cheese Ball with your layer of crushed Nacho flavored Doritos, pressing down to help it cling more fully to the cheese. The savory scent at this point will have your mouth watering.
Lifting a corner of the opened plastic wrap, get your fingers under the cheese ball as you slowly peel it away from the plastic wrap. Because you’ve shaved and molded it tightly, it is a pretty stable mass. Quickly, but carefully, place it on your desired plate.
Helpful tips: If you are making this ahead of time, I would recommend molding the mixture into your carrot and then placing it fully wrapped in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it. When ready to serve, that is when you’ll add the layer of crushed Doritos and place on your platter. This can be served immediately, though.
Serve with whatever crackers you’d like. I didn’t want to have to use a cheese knife, so I chose a crisp, crunchy cracker. However, this would also be delicious with a more flaky cracker, say a Club or Townhouse cracker, as long as you have that knife to help spread. 
Delicious!
Jalapeño Cheese Ball
- 2 8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
- 4.3 oz Bacon (cooked and diced)
- 2 Jalapenos (seeded and diced)
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 4 oz Nacho Cheese flavored Doritos (crushed)
- 1 bunch Parsley (garnish)
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Crush Nacho Cheese flavored Doritos into an almost-powder. Set aside.
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Wash, dry, seed, and dice your jalapeños. Add diced jalapeños to a medium mixing bowl with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix well.
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Once mixed, place on a sheet of plastic wrap. Press and mold into desired shape.
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If serving later: Place in fridge, fully wrapped, until ready to serve.
If serving immediately: Cover molded cheese mixture with a layer of crushed Doritos, pressing into mixture.
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Place onto desired platter and serve with your choice of crackers.
OTHER BRUNCH RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Easter Cupcakes with Chocolate Covered Strawberry Carrots
Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot
Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies— no one can go wrong with these!
May you have a great time with family and friends this Easter season!
~Steph