Are you looking to kick things up a notch for your next game day? Give them something to cheer about with these Spicy Mini Football Cheese Balls made delicious with El Yucateco Chile Habanero Hot Sauce. This post is sponsored by El Yucateco.

tray of mini cheeseballs shaped like footballs

Ready for your family and friends to cheer wildly from your... couch? Try this ultimate football home-gating recipe that tastes as fun as it looks. Cheese balls are always a popular choice to please a crowd, but today we're giving this classic idea a fun and flavorful twist.

spicy cheeseball ingredients shown in bowl.

The perfect ingredient to bring it all together quickly is the #1 habanero sauce in the United States, of course. Enter El Yucateco Chile Habanero Hot Sauce which is made from the whole fruit of the pepper and surprisingly non-vinegar based.

over the top view of cheeseball mixture in a mixing bowl

MINI FOOTBALL CHEESE BALLS WITH A KICK

You can mix and match and configure all of your ingredients, but there is no faster and efficient way to add heat WITH flavor to your cheeseball than with the perfect hot sauce. I chose to add El Yucateco Chile Habanero Hot Sauce to add depth of flavor and the perfect kick with zero fuss.

tray of cheeseball mixture set out o a tray

Not sure about you, but I never like to add too much heat without deep layers of flavor to back it up. El Yucateco Hot Sauces are the perfect solution to amp things up for the game. Mix it into your basic cheese ball or dip ingredients and yum. This easy recipe is a keeper. Give it a try and serve along with a variety of crackers.

Print or save the recipe below to crank up the heat at your next football party.

Spicy Mini Football Cheeseballs Recipe

Yield: 12-13

Spicy mini football-shaped cheese balls crafted from a delightful blend of El Yucateco Chile Habanero Hot Sauce, a variety of cheeses, and bacon.

Ingredients

CHEESE BALL MIXTURE:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz spreadable cheddar cheese, softened
1 cup + 2 tablespoons Monterey Jack Cheese, finely shredded
3 tablespoons El Yucateco Chile Habanero Hot Sauce
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
OUTER COATING:
3 oz package of cooked chopped bacon
½ cup toasted finely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion, optional
PIPING FOOTBALL LINES:
¼ cup sour cream

Instructions

Mix cream cheese, spreadable cheddar cheese, 1 cup of shredded cheese, hot sauce and seasonings until well combined.

Using a cookie scoop or measuring spoon, scoop out all of the mixture dividing into two tablespoon sized portions onto a lined baking sheet.

Cover or wrap cheese portions and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.

Right before serving, combine bacon, chopped pecans, remaining two tablespoons of the cheese with. green onions if using in a shallow dish.

Use food gloves or plastic baggies on your hands to shape each of the cheese portions into mini footballs (leave the bottoms flat) and then roll them into the coating until they are fully covered on all sides.

Place mini footballs onto a serving dish and pipe sour cream using a plastic baggy with a corner cut off or a very small pastry tip onto the mini cheeseballs to make them look like footballs.

Serve with a variety of crackers.

Nutrition Information

Yield 13 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 219Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 47mgSodium 464mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 9g

This nutritional information is for reference only. We are not responsible for these calculations.

El Yucateco Hot Sauce has 13 flavors to choose from their hottest offering, Ghost Habanero Hot Sauce to their mildest, Grilled Pineapple and Habanero Hot Sauce. Discover your new favorite.

Shop El Yucateco Hot Sauces at your local Publix store.