Sausage Balls (Plus VIDEO)

Sausage Balls are a great, fuss-free, make-ahead appetizer and snack made from breakfast sausage, grated cheddar cheese, cream cheese, flour, and seasonings. These cheesy, hearty, and flavorful balls of happiness are perfect for the whole family. These are the tastiest sausage balls you’ll ever have!

Contents… What is in Sausage Balls? Sausage Balls Recipe Ingredients and Substitutes Recipe Variation Tips and Tricks Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs Amazing Dips for Sausage Balls More Sausage Recipes to Try How to Make Sausage Balls Watch How To Make It

This easy sausage balls recipe is an excellent addition to your weekly menu or even as a holiday appetizer, breakfast, and lunch. (Oh, hello, Christmas!) Tender, moist, creamy inside with a cheesy, flavorful, and crispy crust. Make sure to stash some for yourself because they’ll be gone before you know it.

What is in Sausage Balls?

If you’ve noticed, most sausage balls recipes online call for a Bisquick baking mix, cheddar cheese, and sausage. Rather than going the easy route, I use all-purpose flour, cream cheese, and seasonings to achieve a unique and appetizing flavor.

Cream cheese makes these sausage balls crispy on the outside yet creamy, flavorful, moist, and tender on the inside.

Also, the flour mixture coating in this recipe is beyond AH-MAZING. You’ll love the garlicky, spicy, aromatic, and buttery notes in these heavenly bites!

And since I’m seriously into spicy food, I used hot breakfast sausage (which isn’t too hot even for my little one). But you can definitely go for the mild ones or mix them both. Cheddar cheese also blends perfectly with a little heat.

Sausage Balls Recipe Ingredients and Substitutes

Our Sausage and Cheese Ball recipe is a very versatile and share-worthy recipe that can be made all year round. So I went above and beyond with the seasonings to perfect these balls of happiness. And instead of the usual 3-ingredient sausage recipe, I came up with something flavorful in every bite. 😉

• All-Purpose Flour – We need to add flour for the structure so that our lovely balls will hold their shape. It also makes them crispy on the outside. Yum! But, of course, you can substitute it with Bisquick if you want to take a shortcut. 😉
• Baking Powder – You can leave this out, but it actually makes these yummy sausage and cheese balls tender instead of tough.
• Thyme – I just love the earthy and minty flavors of thyme. You can also add basil and oregano for more herby flavors. Or better yet, just use Italian Seasoning to make them more delectable. 👌
• Onion and Garlic Powder – I prefer to use powdered for this recipe to really incorporate their savory flavors evenly. But, of course, you can use fresh garlic and onions, too.
• Creole Seasoning – This blend of spices is a great addition to our dish because it brings out all the great Cajun flavors in these cheesy sausage bites. Here’s the recipe for homemade Creole Seasoning if you want to make it from scratch.
• Salt – A pinch of salt goes a long way, but you’ll notice right away if you forget this simple ingredient.
• Breakfast Sausage – You can choose from regular pork sausage, breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, or any sausage of your choice. It can be hot or mildly spicy; it’s fine as long as it is ground sausage.
• Cream Cheese – Aah! My secret ingredient. Not only does it adds creamy goodness to these sausage balls, but it also makes them moist and soft on the inside.
• Cheddar Cheese – This recipe works even without the cheese. However, it will not be as rich and delicious. Because, obviously, the cheesier these sausage balls are, the better. Agree?
• Butter and Parsley – To make them even more flavorful, we’re gonna brush them with butter and sprinkle them with parsley for garnishing. Ooh!
• Milk – Well, this one is optional. If you find your mixture too thick, you can add a splash of milk to thin out the mix. You can also replace it with a beaten egg.

Recipe Variation

• Veggie Additions – Bell peppers, carrots, celery, scallion, corn are some of my favorite veggie additions to our easy sausage ball recipe. Just dice them, and they’re good to go.
• Add Spiciness – You can also throw in some minced jalapeno, scotch bonnet pepper, or habanero pepper to crank up the heat.
• Seasoning Swap – You can also try it with Taco Seasoning to add some Mexican flavors or use Five-Spice Powder to add an Asian twist to these sausage balls. Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg will add exciting flavors as well.
• Low-Carb and Keto Version – Simply swap flour with almond flour, which will do the trick. Easy peasy! 😉

Tips and Tricks

• Remove the sausage and cream cheese from the fridge about 30 minutes before mixing. It makes it so much easier to mix.
• When baking them frozen, you have to add an additional 8-10 minutes cook time (about 30 minutes all in all) or until the internal temperature reads at 165˚F/74℃.
• Always go with freshly grated cheese for a better texture.
• Wet your hands lightly before rolling the balls to prevent them from sticking to your hands.

Serving and Storage Instructions

These sausage balls are super easy. And they’re so versatile you won’t want to run out of them. They’re not only the perfect party appetizer, but they also make fabulicious after-school snacks and game day finger food. Good thing they are easy to make and freeze well, too.

Make-Ahead Sausage Balls

• Make-Ahead – To make ahead, prepare up to the baking part, cover them tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours before baking.
• Freeze – Mix all the ingredients as instructed and shape them into uniform ball sizes. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. Once they’re frozen, put them in a freezer bag and into your freezer. They should stay fresh for up to six months. Mine have never lasted that long coz my family sneaks them all the time.

Leftover Cooked Sausage Balls

• Store – Keep the leftover sausage balls in an air-tight container or freezer-safe resealable bags.
• Refrigerate – You can keep them fresh inside the fridge for up to five days.
• Freeze – Or store them in the freezer for up to four months.

Note: When ready to serve, thaw the frozen sausage balls inside the fridge overnight.

Reheating Leftover Sausage Balls

• Microwave – Reheat at medium power for 30 seconds to a minute or until warmed through.
• Oven – Reheat the sausage cheese balls for 10-15 minutes in a preheated oven at 350℉/177℃.
• Air Fryer – Reheat frozen sausage bites at 375℉/197℃ for 6-8 minutes, while thawed ones can be reheated for 4-6 minutes.

FAQs

Amazing Dips for Sausage Balls

The delicious balls pair with almost any dip, such as ketchup and mustard. But to level up our sausage goodies, you may serve them with these luscious dips below.

• Remoulade Sauce
• Ranch Dressing
• African Pepper Sauce
• Brown Gravy
• Cranberry Sauce

More Sausage Recipes to Try

• Sausage and Pasta
• Breakfast Turkey Sausage
• Sausage Rolls
• Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
• Sausage Egg Casserole

How to Make Sausage Balls

Make the Sausage Mixture

• Preheat – oven to 350℉/177℃.
• Mix – In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, thyme, onion and garlic powder, Creole seasoning, and salt. (Photo 1)
• Prepare the Baking Sheet – Prepare baking or cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Mix Again – In a large bowl, mix softened sausage and cream cheese together. (Photo 2)
• Combine Flour and Sausage Mixture – Add flour mixture and thoroughly mix using hands; mix the ingredients together well. If too dry, add about 1-2 tablespoons of milk. (Photo 3)
• Add the Cheese – Stir in freshly grated cheddar cheese and mix until fully incorporated. (Photo 4)

Shape the Sausage Mixture

• Scoop and Roll – Scoop about a tablespoon of the mixture and shape it into a ball using your palms. Then place it on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat until the mixture is all used up. (Photo 5)
• Bake – Space them out equally across your prepared baking sheet and bake for about 17-20 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. (Photo 6)
• Garnish and Serve – Brush with melted butter if desired and garnish with parsley.

Watch How To Make It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”2gg5i0gF” upload-date=”2019-04-25T13:30:43.000Z” name=”Sausage Balls” description=”Sausage Balls – fuss-free and great make-ahead appetizer and snack made of breakfast sausage, grated cheddar cheese, cream cheese, flour and seasonings. Cheesy, hearty and flavorful. The tastiest sausage balls you’ll ever have!”]