Stuffed Sausage Balls

When I moved to Nashville 25 years ago, I was introduced to many Southern specialties.  Sausage balls was one of the southern offerings I had never seen before.  I’m told these tasty appetizers have been around for decades, yet they never go out of style on any respectable southern party table.
  

Some may say they are old fashioned, but if you ever go to a party where these are served, they are often the first to go.  The sausage ball has evolved some over the years, but the basic recipe is almost always the same....Sausage, Bisquick and  Cheese. 

This particular recipe adds cream cheese to the mix to amp up the creaminess and flavor of the original Bisquick sausage ball recipe.  Last week I met my dear friend, Pat for breakfast.  When I told her I was going home to prepare sausage balls for my Christmas Eve family gathering, she shared with me her mother's twist on this classic.  Her mom would stuff the sausage balls with a surprise green olive in the center.  Whether you stuff them with an olive or serve them plain, these sausage balls are guaranteed to disappear quickly.

Ingredients:

§  1 lb of uncooked sausage

§  1 8oz block of cream cheese, room temperature

§  2 cups of Bisquick baking mix

§  1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Optional:

§  small green olives

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. 

In a bowl, mix together sausage and softened cream cheese.  You can use an electric mixer, but I prefer to use my hands.

 

Add Bisquick and cheese and stir until combined. 

For consistently sized sausage balls, I use a small ice cream scoop.  Scoop the meat mixture and form into small balls.  If you are going to stuff the sausage balls with an olive, create a small well in the center of the ball and bring the meat up to cover the olive.  Everyone loves sausage balls, but not everyone likes olives, so I make half stuffed sausage balls and half not.

Roll in the palms of your hands for a smooth finish.  Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes to firm the balls so they keep their shape when baked.  The sausage balls can be prepared and refrigerated day in advance.  Keep in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to bake.

 

Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, approximately 20 – 25 minutes depending on the size.  If baking frozen, be prepared to add a few minutes to the baking time.

  

For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to Stuffed Sausage Balls. Enjoy!