Italian Cheese Bombs are biscuit dough wrapped around Tomato Basil Cheddar Cheese brushed with Italian garlic butter, baked to perfection in a cast-iron skillet, and served with marinara for dipping. These 5-ingredient appetizers are a perfect snack for your next party or tailgate!

Mmmm. Don’t you just adore Italian food? Warm flavors of tomato, garlic, oregano, and basil. And of course all of the cheese! These Italian Cheese Bombs are quite possibly the perfect Italian appetizer. Of course, I could make a meal out of them, and why not? Everything you need is right there unless you are feeling guilty about the lack of veggies or something, in which case you can serve them with a nice Italian Salad on the side to make yourself feel better.

This recipe is sponsored by Nebraska’s own Jisa Farmstead Cheese but my love of their wholesome cheese and opinions here are all my own.

Holiday & Tailgating Appetizers

We are in the heart of football tailgating season and the holidays are just around the corner. That means it’s time to share all sorts of yummy appetizers for your tailgates, watch parties, and all of the holiday festivities you have coming!

I baked these Caprese cheese bombs right in my cast iron skillet, which would also make them a perfect recipe for outdoors on the Traeger, too! Imagine the faces of your hometown fans when you open the oven or the smoker on game day and pull out a piping hot pan of these glorious tomato basil cheese balls!

The key ingredient to making the most perfect Italian Cheese Bombs is of course the CHEESE! And for this recipe, I selected Jisa Farmstead Tomato Basil Cheese. It’s a smooth and creamy NY Cheddar-style cheese filled with bits of tomato and basil. It was absolutely perfect.

Jisa’s Farmstead Cheese

Jisa, pronounced Yee-Shaw, Cheese is proudly made in Nebraska, from Jisa Dairy Farms own pasteurized whole milk. Their milk comes from cows that are not treated with rBST. They uphold the highest standards for their cheesemaking, taking care to have the cleanest and sanitized environment.

Jisa Farmstead cheese uses only top-quality wholesome ingredients, their cheese is an all-natural product. Through a specialized feeding program, developed at Jisa Dairy, Jisa’s milk and cheese carry an elevated level of Omega 3. Omega 3 is a key element in eating a healthy diet.

What is rBST?

In short, rBST stands for recombinant bovine somatotropin, a growth hormone used in cows to increase milk production. It is outlawed in some countries, like Canada, but not in the US. Some farms in the US use it, but Jisa does not.

It’s been discovered that rBST has no danger to humans, but it does have some risk to animal health.

Ingredients in Italian Cheese Bombs

As I mentioned, there are only 5 ingredients needed for making this garlic cheese ball recipe. Here is what you need:

Jisa Farmstead Tomato Basil Cheese
Refrigerator Biscuits
Butter, salted is preferred
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning
(optional for serving) Marinara Sauce

How to make Jisa’s Tomato Basil Cheese Stuffed Biscuits

Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a cast-iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray.

Cut the Jisa Tomato Basil cheese block into 16 even-sized squares.

Next, Cut each of the 8 biscuits in half. Press one cube of the cheese in the middle of the dough ball and wrap the cheese around it, pinching it closed.

Place each ball seam side down in the prepared skillet, leaving space in between them for them to grow.

Whisk the garlic powder and Italian seasoning into the melted butter, and brush over the tops of the balls. Set remaining butter aside.

Bake until the cheese bombs are golden brown on top. If desired, brush with the remaining butter when you take them out.

Serve hot with a marinara sauce for dipping.

Love it? Pin it!

If you can’t wait to bake up this cheese bomb recipe, make sure you know where to find it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

I contemplated moving them to a serving tray and was so happy that I second-guessed myself! We sampled a couple of them hot out of the oven, and I decided that the little hole we created was a perfect place for the bowl of marinara sauce. The cast-iron skillet kept them warm for quite a while!

The story behind Jisa Cheese

In 1946, just outside the town of Brainard, Nebraska, Lad Jisa started a dairy farm with just a few Holsteins. Currently, the dairy farm milks over 300 cows and is operated by Lad’s son, Dave, and his sons, David and John. All of the milk for Jisa Farmstead Cheese is provided from their dairy farm.

The Jisa family decided to make cheese when the prices of milk dropped, and dairy farmers needed to diversify. Dave worked with the University of Nebraska and learned how to make cheese.

Jisa’s Farmstead Cheese became a reality in the spring of 2005 when they opened their 6,000 square foot plant just about a half-mile North of the Jisa dairy farm. If you visit, you can see the whole factory in full swing looking through the huge window that overlooks the factory floor.

Where Can I Buy Jisa Farmstead Cheese?

If you are here in Nebraska, you’ll probably find Jisa Cheese at your local market, or HyVee Supermarket. But if you can’t just run down the street to grab some, you can purchase it right on the Jisa Farmstead Cheese website, at Buy Nebraska and also on Amazon.

Don’t forget to follow Jisa Farmstead Cheese on Facebook, for recipes, product updates and specials!

Stay tuned for my next recipe for Jisa Cheese, coming in late November.

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If you love Italian food and new recipes for appetizers here are some of my favorites:

Let’s make this scrumptious cheese bomb recipe!

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Italian Cheese Bombs in a cast iron skillet with marinara sauce

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