Sausage Balls
This has been a family favorite for years and these little tasty bites are always a part of our holiday baking; however, they are great for any time of the year! We love them for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee.
Sausage balls....I am sure I have eaten thousands during my lifetime and sometimes they can be dry and tasteless. Not anymore!
I began incorporating cream cheese into the mix a few years ago and this eliminated the dryness. Cream cheese also makes them easier to mix and they taste even cheesier. Who doesn't love that? Ya'll know how much I love cheese!
Give these a try. I am sure you won't be disappointed.
Ingredients
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1 pound sausage (ground hot or mild) almost room temperature
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8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
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8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
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2 cups baking mix (Jiffy, Bisquick, etc..)
Directions
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Combine the sausage and cheeses until blended well.
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Add the baking mix and combine until everything has been incorporated well.
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Roll into one inch balls and place on a baking pan that has been sprayed with a nonstick spray.
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Bake on 350 degrees until lightly brown and the bottoms are slightly crisp.
I use a heavy duty stand mixer with the paddle attachment to mix these, but they may also be mixed by hand. It comes together much easier if everything is at almost room temperature. Extremely cold sausage and cream cheese don't combine well....just let these come to almost room temperature before you begin the process of mixing.
This is meat that needs refrigeration, so be reasonable here with the "room temperature" note. I allow mine to sit out for about twenty minutes before mixing. This takes the chill off. I also break the sausage into smaller clumps before mixing as this seems to help with the process as well.