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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Football Cheeseball

appetizer· dips· Tailgating Recipes
January 24, 2022

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Football Cheeseball – A zesty mix of cream cheese, ranch seasoning, and diced veggies are shaped into a football and covered with cheddar cheese. Perfect for serving at your next tailgate!

overhead shot that shows the football-shaped cheeseball with a spread of dipping vegetables and crackers

Today, I have another appetizer for you to serve during your football watching parties. This one is more on the nose, since it’s shaped like a football. I’ve actually made this dip many times before and shaped it like a basketball or a pumpkin, depending on the season. Everyone loves it so much that I have to make it for almost every get-together I have. And since it’s so easy to make, I don’t mind it at all!

This Football Cheeseball is a zesty mix of vegetables, ranch, and cream cheese. I’ve been asked if it was a pimento cheese dip, but, technically, it’s not since there is no mayo or paprika in the recipe. But it’s got a similar taste, just less pimento-tasting so it’s great for kids who may not love a traditional pimento cheese flavor.

Let’s take a closer look at this Football Cheeseball, huh?

angled close up of football cheeseball on a platter
close up of a pretzel cracker with a scoop of cheese from the cheeseball
cheeseball with a scoop or two taken out

No cooking required

One of the greatest things about this recipe is that there is no cooking or baking required. The cheeseball is served cold so you can also make ahead of time and just pull out of the fridge when ready to serve.

Making the cheeseball

The cheeseball is mostly cream cheese with a little bit of cheddar cheese mixed throughout. To add extra flavor, half of the cream cheese is a vegetable cream cheese. A little ranch seasoning is also added for extra zing.

Dicing the pepper

The most work you’ll do for this entire recipe is dicing the red pepper. But before you do, make sure to trace out some laces for the top of the football. I used a homemade stencil to help me out.

Once the pepper is diced, you must squeeze out extra water from it before placing in the dip. Use a paper towel to make this easier.

Assembling the dip

To start the assembly, the cream cheeses are combined in a stand mixer. Then, the rest of the ingredients are added, aside from 1 cup of the shredded cheddar. It will be used to cover the football.

After the dip is made, it’s formed into a football, covered in the remaining cheddar cheese, and chilled for at least 2 hours. This will give it time to firm up again.

overhead shot of the football on a serving platter with a cracker dipped into it

Tips & Tricks

  1. It’s important to squeeze out extra water from the diced peppers so that the excess water doesn’t go into the cheeseball and cause it to lose it’s texture and shape.
  2. The cayenne adds a hint of flavor but not much heat. If you want more spice, double the cayenne.
  3. The cheese should be freshly shredded so that it blends better into the dip and makes a stronger outer shell. Bagged shredded cheese tends to hold it’s shape too firmly for this recipe.
  4. The flavors really develop together the longer they sit. So I actually recommend making this hours or even the day before needing it so that it tastes even better.
Print Recipe

Football Cheeseball

Prep Time15 minutes mins
Chilling time:2 hours hrs
Total Time2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 medium red pepper
  • 1 8-ounce block cream cheese softened
  • 1 7.5-ounce tub vegetable cream cheese
  • 3 green onions chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Hidden Valley ranch seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • crackers, carrots, celery for serving

Instructions

  • Cut pepper into quarters. Take one quarter and trace out laces for the top of the football. Cut and cover with paper towel. Place in fridge until time to serve the cheeseball. Dice the rest of the red pepper super fine. Place in paper towel and squeeze to drain out extra water from the pepper.
  • Add both cream cheeses to a bowl fitted for a stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment, mix both cheeses together until combined. Add in diced pepper, diced green onions, ranch seasoning, cayenne, and 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese. Mix until combined.
  • Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on the counter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the remaining cheese in an oval in the center of the plastic wrap. Add cheese and form into a football shape. It doesn't have to be perfect – you'll be able to shape later. Cover with the rest of the shredded cheese. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and wrap tight. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm again.
  • Serve cold with crackers and vegetables.

Notes

Recipe adapted from The Country Cook

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18 Comments

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Comments

  1. Natalie says

    January 31, 2022 at 3:55 am

    Fantastic football cheese ball. What a great idea. Looks delicious and the presentation is perfect. I’ll save this for our game night.

    Reply
  2. Moop Brown says

    January 31, 2022 at 2:27 am

    This recipe makes for such a tasty appetizer and is perfect for the Super Bowl coming up.

    Reply
  3. Brianna says

    January 30, 2022 at 9:25 pm

    Made this for the playoffs and it was a hit! My family goes crazy for anything football themed.

    Reply
  4. Naiby says

    January 30, 2022 at 5:41 pm

    You completely went artsy on this dish! It makes it so much more fun to it for game day.

    Reply
  5. Tristin says

    January 30, 2022 at 12:59 pm

    This is such a fun cheese dip. My kids love the football shape! We are making it again for Super Bowl!!

    Reply
  6. Megan Ellam says

    January 29, 2022 at 6:10 pm

    I love a good ranch cheese ball and this one is incredible. Thanks for a delicious recipe and fun way of serving it for game day.

    Reply
  7. Mikayla says

    January 28, 2022 at 5:48 pm

    Just loved the simple ‘clean’ flavors in this cheese ball. Sometimes less is more and I will be putting this together again for our super bowl celebration!

    Reply
  8. Jenny says

    January 28, 2022 at 1:09 pm

    This is a fantastic idea and looks so good. Perfect for football Sundays. It is so fun and will be perfect for our Superball gathering.

    Reply
  9. Dana says

    January 28, 2022 at 10:04 am

    The football shape is so fun and the cheeseball is so delicious! I’m serving it again for the next game with pretzels.

    Reply
  10. Emily says

    January 25, 2022 at 3:12 pm

    This is so fun! Can’t wait to try it for the Super Bowl!

    Reply
  11. Amber Myers says

    January 25, 2022 at 2:41 pm

    I love cheese, so I will be making this! I might just keep it in a ball since I’m not a fan of football!

    Reply
  12. Beth Sachs says

    January 25, 2022 at 2:37 pm

    What a great idea! I’m going to make this for my son’s birthday!

    Reply
  13. Rika says

    January 25, 2022 at 2:37 pm

    This is the perfect game-day food! It’s so fun to make and eat!

    Reply
  14. Tara says

    January 25, 2022 at 2:21 pm

    Oh how fun! These cheeseball is such a wonderful addition to a game day spread. Looks so good!

    Reply
  15. Jamie says

    January 25, 2022 at 2:16 pm

    I love the look of this cheeseball! It’s perfect for watching the game and so delicious too. It was great with veggies and crackers!

    Reply
  16. Carissa says

    January 25, 2022 at 1:40 pm

    We usually have a Super Bowl party and this would definitely be a hit! I’m saving this for later! I know my family would love this!

    Reply
  17. Katherine says

    January 25, 2022 at 3:43 am

    This looks and sounds delicious! I love that it’s similar to pimento but different enough. Also love that you pair it with vegetables. Always feels great to indulge in something with a guiltless pairing!

    Reply
  18. Marta says

    January 24, 2022 at 7:55 pm

    I’m TOTALLY making this for our superbowl party this year! It’s so fun and festive, I know everyone will love it.

    Reply

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Hi, my name is Sharon. I’m an accountant by day, risk-taking baker and food enthusiast by night. Come join me as I share my favorite recipes and test out new ones along the way!

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