Irresistible Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Balls: The Ultimate Holiday Appetizer & Leftover Makeover

Get ready to elevate your holiday spread or everyday meal with these incredible Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Balls! This creative recipe transforms humble leftover stuffing into a truly unforgettable bite-sized delight. Imagine savory stuffing, enriched with melted cheese, tangy barbecue sauce, and a hint of sweet dried cranberries, all perfectly encased in crispy, salty bacon. These little morsels are baked to golden perfection, offering a harmonious blend of salty, sweet, and savory flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. Whether you’re looking for a show-stopping appetizer, a unique side dish, or a clever way to repurpose post-holiday stuffing, this recipe is a must-try. We even include simple instructions for making fresh stuffing from scratch, so you can enjoy these delightful balls any time of the year!

Why You’ll Adore This Recipe

As much as I cherish my best-ever stuffing recipe, I often find myself with an abundance of leftovers after major feasts like Thanksgiving or Christmas. While classic stuffing is delicious, eating it for several meals in a row can get a bit monotonous. That’s where these fabulous stuffing balls come in! They offer a delightful and innovative solution to repurpose holiday leftovers, breathing new life into familiar flavors.

These tasty bites are a symphony of flavors and textures. Each ball is wonderfully savory, with a delicate sweetness from the dried cranberries and a touch of smoky tang from the barbecue sauce. For an extra layer of deliciousness, I often opt for maple-flavored bacon, which adds another subtle hint of sweetness that perfectly complements the stuffing. You’ll truly love this recipe because it’s incredibly satisfying and a brilliant way to prevent food waste. But don’t wait for leftovers! With the included directions for quick and easy homemade stuffing, you can whip up these delectable stuffing balls anytime the craving strikes, making them perfect for unexpected guests, game day snacks, or simply a special treat for yourself.

Key Ingredients for Flavorful Stuffing Balls

Crafting these amazing bacon-wrapped stuffing balls requires just a handful of straightforward ingredients. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why each component is essential:

• Stuffing: This recipe calls for 3 cups of prepared stuffing. This is a convenient amount, as it’s precisely what you’ll typically get from a standard box of Stovetop stuffing. While leftover stuffing is perfect, you can easily make a fresh batch using our quick recipe provided in the notes below, ensuring you can enjoy these year-round. Any type of bread-based or cornbread stuffing will work beautifully here.
• Dried Cranberries: These add a wonderful burst of tart sweetness that cuts through the richness of the other ingredients. They also provide a festive color, making these balls visually appealing.
• Mozzarella Cheese: Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese acts as the perfect “glue,” binding the stuffing mixture together into neat, uniform balls. As it bakes, the cheese melts, contributing to a wonderfully moist and cohesive texture.
• Barbecue Sauce: A couple of tablespoons of your favorite barbecue sauce introduce a delightful smoky and tangy element. While store-bought sauce is perfectly fine for convenience, if you’re feeling adventurous, an amazing Cherry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce recipe would beautifully complement the cranberries and add an extra gourmet touch.
• Maple Flavored Bacon: This is my personal preference for an added layer of sweet and smoky flavor that pairs exceptionally well with the stuffing and cranberries. However, if maple bacon isn’t available or preferred, regular thin-sliced bacon works just as well. The key is to use thin or regular sliced bacon, not thick-sliced. Thick-cut bacon tends not to cook through and crisp up properly around the stuffing balls in the oven, leading to a less enjoyable texture.

If you’re opting to make fresh stuffing using our quick method, you’ll also need a large egg, some dried minced onion, and water to bring it all together.

Effortless Steps to Make Delicious Stuffing Balls

Making these bacon-wrapped stuffing balls is a straightforward process that yields impressive results. Follow these simple steps for perfectly crisp, flavorful bites every time:

1. Prepare Your Stuffing: Begin by obtaining your 3 cups of stuffing. This can be pre-made leftover stuffing from a previous meal, or you can quickly prepare a fresh batch using the instructions provided in the recipe notes. Ensure your stuffing is cool or at room temperature for easier handling.
2. Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the prepared stuffing, dried cranberries, shredded mozzarella cheese, and barbecue sauce. Use your hands or a sturdy spoon to mix these ingredients thoroughly until everything is well combined and the cheese and sauce are evenly distributed. This ensures that every bite is packed with flavor.
3. Form the Stuffing Balls: Lay out the 12 slices of thin-sliced bacon on a clean washable cutting board or a large baking sheet. This sets you up for easy assembly. Now, grab a generous handful of the stuffing mixture (about a heaping 1/4 cup) and gently form it into a compact ball. Place this ball onto one end of a bacon strip. Repeat this process with the remaining stuffing mixture and bacon strips. You may need to slightly adjust the amount of stuffing in each ball—adding to some and taking away from others—to ensure they are all roughly the same size and that all the stuffing is used evenly among the 12 bacon strips. Uniform balls will cook more consistently.
4. Wrap and Secure with Bacon: Carefully wrap each strip of bacon around its stuffing ball. Overlap the bacon slightly to fully encase the stuffing. To ensure the bacon stays securely in place and doesn’t unravel during cooking, insert a toothpick through the bacon and into the stuffing ball. This simple step is crucial for maintaining their neat shape and achieving that perfectly crispy bacon coating.
5. Prepare for Baking: Arrange the bacon-wrapped stuffing balls onto a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet. This setup allows air to circulate around the balls, promoting even cooking and helping the bacon crisp up beautifully, while the baking sheet catches any delicious drippings.
6. Bake to Perfection: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake the stuffing balls for approximately 30 minutes, or until the bacon is fully cooked through, deliciously crisp, and the stuffing balls are heated and slightly golden. The exact cooking time may vary depending on your oven and the thickness of your bacon, so keep an eye on them.

Tips for Perfect Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Balls

Achieving the ideal balance of crispy bacon and flavorful, moist stuffing is key to this recipe’s success. Here are some expert tips to ensure your stuffing balls turn out perfectly every time:

• Don’t Overmix the Stuffing: Once you’ve added the cranberries, cheese, and barbecue sauce, mix just until combined. Overmixing can lead to dense, tough stuffing balls.
• Ensure Uniform Ball Size: Taking the time to make each stuffing ball roughly the same size will ensure they all cook evenly. This prevents some from being undercooked while others become too crispy.
• Pat Stuffing Dry if Too Moist: If you’re using leftover stuffing, it can sometimes be a bit wet. If your stuffing mixture feels too moist to form firm balls, you can gently pat it with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. A drier stuffing binds better.
• The Importance of the Wire Rack: Baking the stuffing balls on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet is crucial. This setup allows air to circulate around the entire ball, ensuring the bacon crisps up evenly on all sides and preventing the bottom from becoming soggy. It also keeps them out of the rendered bacon fat.
• Use Toothpicks: As mentioned, toothpicks are your best friend here! They securely hold the bacon in place, ensuring it adheres to the stuffing during baking and creates that satisfying, crisp exterior. Remember to remove them before serving.
• Pre-cook Bacon (Optional): If you prefer extra-crispy bacon or are concerned about cook time, you can partially pre-cook the bacon for about 5 minutes before wrapping the stuffing balls. Just be careful not to make it too stiff to wrap.

Serving and Storage Suggestions

These versatile Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Balls are perfect for a variety of occasions. Serve them hot as an impressive appetizer at your next gathering, or present them as a unique and delicious side dish alongside roasted meats or poultry. For an extra touch, consider serving them with a small bowl of extra barbecue sauce, a cranberry chutney, or a spicy aioli for dipping. A sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley or chives can add a pop of color and freshness.

If you have any leftovers (which is unlikely!), store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, place them on a baking sheet and warm them in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10-15 minutes, or until heated through and the bacon is crisp again. Avoid reheating in the microwave, as it can make the bacon soggy.

FAQs About Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Balls