Sausage Balls
Early Genius - Holiday Pork
I was nine or 10 when I got the assignment: make sausage balls. I suspect I brought it on myself. My memory from so long ago is fuzzy but I seem to recall lobbying my mother to make them one Christmas (she must have made them the previous year) and, as she was wont to do, her response was, "If you want them, you make them."
You know the things I'm talking about, country sausage, cheddar cheese, and Bisquik mixed together, rolled into balls, and baked. The perfect task for a nine-year-old cook. So I made them and when we had our annual Christmas Day open house my sausage balls were part of the spread. Woohoo! I not only got to make them and eat them but I got to show them off to all the adults!
I made them a few times thereafter, but eventually I forgot about them until I was writing an yesterday article about those long ago Christmases and remembered them. How could I have forgotten? Sausage is the next best thing to bacon and these included cheese! So this morning I had to go to the store, buy the ingredients, and make a batch. Lordy, lordy, lordy…
They were everything I remembered: greasy, chewy, spicy, bready, delicious. There is nothing remotely sophisticated about them: the flavors are simple, assertive, and one-dimensional; the preparation is so simple a nine-year-old can do it; and they were invented simply to offer another way of using Bisquick (current Bisquick recipe). But, nevertheless, they're damned good. If you want to get a tad fancier you might make these sausage rolls, but frankly, the sausage balls are better.
Although most country sausage includes fennel seed and/or sage, bumping up either of those flavors would work.
You can offer a good brown mustard or a homemade flavored mayo as a dip - but frankly that's gilding the cabbage (there's no way these can be called lilies).
I was nine or 10 when I got the assignment: make sausage balls. I suspect I brought it on myself. My memory from so long ago is fuzzy but I seem to recall lobbying my mother to make them one Christmas (she must have made them the previous year) and, as she was wont to do, her response was, "If you want them, you make them."
You know the things I'm talking about, country sausage, cheddar cheese, and Bisquik mixed together, rolled into balls, and baked. The perfect task for a nine-year-old cook. So I made them and when we had our annual Christmas Day open house my sausage balls were part of the spread. Woohoo! I not only got to make them and eat them but I got to show them off to all the adults!
My job, my Christmas calling, was to make sausage balls.
Well…. From that day on I was the sausage ball king. As the years passed and my cooking skills improved I'd contribute other things to the Christmas open house menu, but my job, my Christmas calling, was to make sausage balls. And I did, every year until I left home.I made them a few times thereafter, but eventually I forgot about them until I was writing an yesterday article about those long ago Christmases and remembered them. How could I have forgotten? Sausage is the next best thing to bacon and these included cheese! So this morning I had to go to the store, buy the ingredients, and make a batch. Lordy, lordy, lordy…
They were everything I remembered: greasy, chewy, spicy, bready, delicious. There is nothing remotely sophisticated about them: the flavors are simple, assertive, and one-dimensional; the preparation is so simple a nine-year-old can do it; and they were invented simply to offer another way of using Bisquick (current Bisquick recipe). But, nevertheless, they're damned good. If you want to get a tad fancier you might make these sausage rolls, but frankly, the sausage balls are better.
Sausage BallsOptions: Gruyere would be a great alternative to cheddar as would comte - even Jarlsburg would work. You could also use Italian sausage and provolone.
1 lb. bulk country sausage
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese — shredded
2 c. Bisquick
Heat oven to 350F.
Measure Bisquick into a large bowl. Add small pinches of sausage to the Bisquick, stirring often to coat the sausage. Add shredded cheese and mix thoroughly. (Note: I used my KAStand Mixer with the paddle blade to do the mixing.)
Form mixture into 1-inch diameter balls and place on a baking sheet (Note: I usually line the pan with aluminum foil to eliminate cleanup.) These will fill two quarter-size baking pans.
Bake the first pan for 15 - 20 minutes until lightly browned, cool pan on a rack then peel foil from balls. Repeat for second batch.
Although most country sausage includes fennel seed and/or sage, bumping up either of those flavors would work.
You can offer a good brown mustard or a homemade flavored mayo as a dip - but frankly that's gilding the cabbage (there's no way these can be called lilies).
23 Comments:
I never liked sausage balls until my mom started making me make them. After that, I couldn't get enough when they were warm and fresh out of the oven.
Emilyrena,
I ended up eating about eight of them, then made a salad and called it supper.
These are one of my dirty, dirty favorites. LOVE them. And they freeze well -- if you freeze the uncooked balls on a cookie sheet until they're firm enough to put in a bag together without freezing into the world's largest, most lumpy sausage ball, they can then be yanked a few at a time from the freezer for ongoing delight.
I might have to make these for my parents at Christmas...
My friend's late mother-in-law used to bring them to their New Year's Eve party every year, and they were always gobbled up. She called them 'Hotsy-Totsies,' though, which always made us laugh. Still does.
Genie,
Yeah, they're pretty addictive.
Anon,
Never heard that name.
Your recipe shows no liquid, but the Bisquick recipe calls for 1/2 cup milk. Does your recipe hold together with no liquid?
Kung,
They hold together fine from the fat in the sausage, but note that I use 1/3 less Bisquick.
Perfect timing, Kevin! I've got to be able to cook next week without access to my customary tools or vendors. This is one of those recipes that allows me to find the ingredients just about anywhere and also makes little or no kitchen mess in someone else's home! I'm taking this gem along with me! Thanks. And Happy Holidays to you!
Donna,
This is one of those things that as a professional cook and food writer I'm almost ashamed of posting about. But, you know, they really are typical of my cooking style
Kevin,
We all began somewhere on a rung of an elementary level. This retrospective recipe shows how far you've progressed in your understanding of food. Were it not for the Betty Crocker cookbooks I used and the instant mixes, I probably wouldn't understand as much a I do now about whole foods, clean foods and combining foods. It's good to keep our roots in mind. Y'know?
Donna,
This is a telling recipe, but first recipe I ever collected (at about age 8) was for Indian Pudding - which I insisted on making. It was something I'd never eaten, but even at that age I could imagine what it would taste like. And if you think about it, it's not that far from sausage balls.
Nicely done stud!
If someone wanted some moisture a little heavy cream might add a little love.
Look as though they might be good deep fried. But that might be a bit much.
Biggles
Never heard of sausage balls, but I love sausage and will have to make some.
Chuck
Definitely must dip them into a little mustard. Mmmmm
Sooo bad. SOOOOOO GOOD!
Rev,
They effectively fry in their own fat. And they're plenty moist.
Chuck,
Definitely worth a try.
CJ,
Yeah, I like a german mustard.
One Christmas my mother in law made sausage balls and left them in the oven to long while presents were being opened and they were hard as a rock,ever since then it has been a running joke in our family about Grandma's sausage balls,and needless to say my wife and I cook the breakfast now
Well, yeah. But should we deep fry them?
Biggles
Rev,
I think deep fruing would be overkill - besides the cheese would melt into the hot oil and make a mess.
Awwww mannnn. K.
Biggles
Tried it but didn't have any chedder so went with Monterey Jack. Very good but really needs a stronger cheese to add the proper flavor. I mixed in two tablespoons of dry mustard which helped a lot IMHO.
Jack,
The mustard's a great idea.
I made Sausage Balls for years like this. Then I discovered Ky. Kernel Seasoned Flour, the recipe is on the box, any good seasoned flour works,instead of the Bisquick and in your recipe it would only take 1 cup.
Now I get crazy and add in different thing; dried rosemary, dried parsley, finely chopped onion and/or celery, minced garlic, chili powder, seeded finely chopped jalapeno pepper. Not all at once, but pick two or three that sound good at the moment. Sausage Balls may not be gourmet but they are damn good.
Beverly,
Thanks, I'll check it out. And yes, "damn good."
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