Bacon Cheeseburger Balls

My boyfriend bought me another cookbook for Christmas so I had to try out a recipe from it.  We had to go to a New Years party and I had to make an appetizer.  My boyfriend chose this recipe to try out.  These are a bit time consuming to make but well worth it in the end!

Bacon Cheeseburger Balls

Yields: 3 Dozen

1 egg
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 lb. ground beef
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. milk
1 Cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
4 bacon strips; cooked and crumbled

Coating:
2 eggs
1 Cup crushed saltines (about 30 crackers)
5 Tbsp. canola oil

In a large bowl, combine the egg and soup mix.  Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.  Divide into 36 portions and set aside.  In another large bowl, combine the flour and milk until smooth.  Add the cheese and bacon; mix well.
Shape cheese mixture in 36 balls.  Shape one beef portion around each cheese ball.  In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs.  Place cracker crumbs in another bowl.  Dib meatballs into egg, then coat with crumbs.
In a large skillet, cook meatballs over medium heat in oil for 10-12 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink and coating is golden brown.

The cheese balls will be very small, so if you want, you can add an additional 1/4-1/2 Cup of cheese.  Once the meat is around the cheese they are larger.  I used ground deer meat instead of beef and they were delicious.  Also, make sure the saltines are crushed really small, almost to a powder.  You do not want large pieces of saltines.  We ate the leftovers with sauce and pasta the next day and they were even better.  Next time I would serve with dipping sauces too!  Enjoy!