Sausage Balls

If you’ve never heard of sausage balls before, let me introduce you to your new favorite holiday appetizer. Golden bites of cooked pork sausage, cheddar, and Bisquick combine in this recipe for a last-minute appetizer ready in a little more than 30 minutes. Savory and cheesy, it's easy to see why this bite-sized app is a classic in many households (mine included). Whether you're serving them at your holiday dinner or as a game day app, these bites are a guaranteed hit. Keep reading on for all of my top tips on how to make them:

How To Make Sausage Balls

INGREDIENTS

• Sausage: My favorite sausage for sausage balls is ground Italian pork sausage (you can use sweet or spicy!), but you can also use chicken or turkey sausage. Whatever you choose, just make sure it's the kind you buy raw, and if it comes in links remove them from the casings. Pre-cooked sausage links will not work for this recipe. Want to spice things up? You could use Mexican (not Spanish cured) chorizo! For a breakfast version, try using maple-y breakfast sausage.
• Bisquick: The key to these sausage balls? Bisquick. While it may seem odd, trust me—they make this appetizer as easy as possible, and turn these bites into a cheesy, biscuit-type of texture. If you don't want to use Bisquick or another boxed biscuit mix, no problem. Simply swap in 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt for this recipe.
• Cheddar: I love cheddar since it's always a crowd-pleaser, but stirring in some Parmesan would totally give these even more dimension. But honestly, most of your favorite cheeses will likely work in these bites: Gruyère, pepper jack, mozzarella...the options are endless!
• Parsley & Paprika: In addition to salt and pepper, freshly chopped parsley and paprika join together to season these bites. I prefer fresh parsley over dried—it makes for a perfect garnish as well.
• Whole Milk: In the first iterations of this recipe, no milk was included. In testing, we found that adding some whole milk to the mixture prevents these bites from being dry, and makes for a more cohesive mixture.
  

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, preheat your oven to 350°, and line a baking sheet with parchment to prevent sticking. Then, grab a large bowl, and add your pork sausage, Bisquick, cheddar, milk, parsley, and paprika. Mix until fully combined, then season with salt and pepper. This mixture won’t be very wet, but it should hold together—keep mixing until it is generally cohesive.

Once your mixture is combined, use a small cookie scoop to place balls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Again, if your mixture is struggling to stay in the balls, keep mixing until they can form.

Once all of your balls line the baking sheet, brush the tops with some olive oil to encourage that golden crust.

Bake until the bites are deeply golden and no longer pink. This should take around 25 minutes. Once done, garnish with parsley before serving.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

What To Serve With Sausage Balls

• Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread: If you need to complete your holiday spread, then this festive, creamy dip is the perfect pairing to these bites.
• Carbonara Deviled Eggs: These cheesy, pancetta-topped deviled eggs are a welcome addition to any party.
• Stuffed Mushrooms: Who can say no to more bites? These stuffed mushrooms are another one of our most-loved apps, and pair perfectly with these sausage balls.

Storage & Make Ahead

You can make the sausage mixture up to 24 hours in advance. Shape the mixture into balls and refrigerate them on a parchment-lined baking sheet until ready to bake. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3-4 days.