Family Favorite: Sausage Balls

Now that school is back in session, I have to be on my toes with breakfast.  Leisurely morning breakfasts are now weekends only.  My family is not huge cereal eaters...they prefer a hot breakfast.  So at least once a week, we chow down on sausage balls! 

Sausage balls are quick & easy.  I made them in double recipes and freeze them.  Then I can bake them in small batches...and we always have fresh sausage balls.  It makes for an quick & easy hot breakfast.

Four ingredients [at room temperature] is all you need...



The original recipe calls for Tabasco but I use Frank's Hot Sauce.  If you don't like your sausage balls hot & spicy...you could use 1 roll of hot sausge and 1 roll of mild or both mild.  We like things hot & spicy around here!

I mix my sausage & hot sauce to taste in my Kitchen-Aid mixer with the paddle attachment.  I then add the Bisquick [a little at a time] and mix until it is incorporated.  Finally I add the cheese, mixing again until incorporated.

Then I roll the sausage mixture into 1-inch balls, placing them on a parchment lined baking sheet...



I pop the baking sheet into the freezer for a few hours.  [I put a layer of parchment paper down so the sausage balls don't stick to the baking sheet during the freezing process.]  When the sausage balls are frozen solid, I stick them in a freezer zip-lock bag until I am ready to bake.

I just put the number of sausage balls I want to bake on a lightly greased, aluminium foil lined baking sheet [it makes the cleanup extremely quick when you are trying to get out the door].

So on busy school mornings while I am showering & getting ready, the aroma of sausage balls is coming out of my kitchen...



I remove the sausage balls from the baking sheet onto a paper towel lined plate to absorb the excess grease.  My children love to find these on the breakfast table [and if there are any left, they make a great afternoon snack].

The recipe I use is from Cotton Country Cooking [Junior League of Morgan County].  It was first published in 1972.  They did a reprint of the book for its 25th Anniversary and this recipe was picked as one of their favorites from over the years.

Cheese & Sausage Balls*
1 heaping cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 lb. hot sausage
2 c. Bisquick
Tabasco to taste [I use Frank's]

Have all ingredients at room temperature.  Combine ingredients [I do mine in my Kitchen-Aid mixer] and shape into 1-inch balls.  Bake at 350˚ for 20 minutes [30 minutes if frozen].

*The above recipe is for a single batch

Enjoy a stressfree school day breakfast [like Friday when I had to get to 4 different schools by 8:00...Owen ate his in the car]!