This cheese log has layers of flavor! It is both fun to eat, make, and share especially during the holiday season!
Cheeseballs are a year-round staple for us! We love cheeseballs, so much so, you can find a cheeseball or log recipe in both our fall and winter cookbooks! The love stems from a variety of reasons. They taste amazing, can be made in advance, can be frozen, are easy to make, can feed a crowd, and are budget friendly! You “almost” can’t go wrong when making a cheeseball. If you use quality ingredients and taste as you go, you are sure to have a crowd pleasing appetizer!
We recently invited a few friends over to paint holiday rugs and challenged ourselves to create a charcuterie board on a $25 budget. Feeling a little adventurous we wanted something new for this board. So a new cheese log was born. We love bacon and smoked Gouda so we paired that with sweet pickled jalapeños and green onions. This log is delicious and has lots of flavor! Our friends mentioned that it is perfect for those who like savory and sweet. It was a hit and we are sure you and your guests will love it too!
Check out our recipe below and keep reading to get some of our cheeseball tips!
Bacon, Gouda, and Jalapeno Log
Prep time: 30-90 minutes Serves: 15
Ingredients
1lb cream cheese
8 oz smoked Gouda, shredded
½ lb bacon, cooked
¼ cup green onions, finely sliced
1 tsp garlic powder
For Pickled Jalapenos
1 cup sliced jalapenos, about 4 peppers
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
For Topping
⅓ cup chopped cranberries
⅓ cup chopped walnuts
2 TBS green onion, finely sliced
Directions:
Pre-Prep: Set cream cheese out to soften. Finely chop green onions. Shred Gouda. Chop walnuts and cranberries. Slice jalapenos and remove white membranes and seeds. Pickle jalapenos. Cook bacon.
For Pickled Jalapenos:
Combine vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil. Let boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, place sliced jalapenos into a small heat proof container. Pour hot mixture over sliced jalapenos and let sit for about 1 hour.
Once jalapenos are done, remove from the liquid and finely chop. Set aside until ready to use
For topping:
Chop walnuts and cranberries by hand or with a food processor or blender and mix with sliced green onions. Set aside until ready to use.
For Cheese Log:
Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or hand mixer with a large bowl, beat cream cheese, chopped pickled jalapenos, bacon, shredded Gouda cheese, garlic powder, and green onions, until fully combined.
Place the cheese mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a log. Place the cheese log in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until it’s firm enough to roll in the topping.
Place ½ of the topping mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and spread evenly. Roll cheese log into mixture and repeat this step until cheese log is completely covered in the topping.
Wrap your cheese log in a new piece of plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until it’s ready to be served.
Notes
You can pickle the jalapenos overnight or up to 3 days before. The longer the jalapenos are pickled the more vinegar and sugar will be absorbed.
We have never tried this with store bought pickled jalapenos, but they would probably work. Just note that pickling them according to this recipe gives them firmer texture.
We opted to roll our log in chopped cranberries, walnuts, and green onions for a festive vibe, but you can use any nuts, or more bacon if you choose! The options are almost endless!