Sausage Balls

I guess I had a theme of pork going on for my appetizers for Thanksgiving, it wasn’t planned at all.  Actually I hadn’t even thought about the ingredients in everything until just now.  To go along with the Hearty Sausage Dipand the Piggie SticksI made sausage balls.  Everything went together very nicely and everyone loved it all.

I love sausage balls, they are one of my absolute favorite appetizers.  They are heavier and more filling that a lot of other appetizers out there and they are so versatile; they can be served hot, cold or room temperature.  They are a great thing to make ahead; they can easily be mixed and rolled into balls the night before and then cooked the day they are needed.  When you are cooking a lot of stuff for an event recipes like this are a life saver. 

I know there are a ton of different recipes out there for sausage balls.  They can be the simple, basice recipe or there can be different items added to them to spice them up a little.  I decided to stay simple and do the classic recipe and they were awesome.  I also did a dip inspired by Paula Deen; it paired with the sausage balls very well.

 

Sausage Balls

Ingredients:

1 (1-pound) package ground sausage

 3 cups baking mix (I used Bisquick)

4 cups grated sharp Cheddar

1/8 tablespoon pepper

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.

 

 Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl. Mix well with your fingers. The mixture will be very crumbly. Form into 1 inch balls, squeezing the mixture so it holds together, then rolling it between the palms of your hands to form balls.

 Place the balls on the baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. To prevent sticking, move the balls with a spatula halfway through cooking.

For the dip:

Combine 1 cup of mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of spicey mustard.  Stir together well and serve with sausage balls.

 

Recipe Source: Paula Deen