Easy Sausage Cheese Balls Recipe

This easy sausage cheese balls recipe is made without Bisquick or a baking mix. It's the perfect party appetizer, a must-have for a brunch buffet, or even makes for an easy make-ahead breakfast on the go.

We all have ideas of classic party appetizers we love and have to have at every gathering. For me, one of those is homemade sausage balls.

We'd make them at least once a year during the holidays when I was growing up. I always look forward to them being a bit crunchy on the outside but soft and tender on the inside.

My mom would make them with a baking mix back then. This time I wanted to make my sausage balls recipe without Bisquick though.

How To Make Sausage Cheese Balls From Scratch

I love baking and generally do so from scratch which means I usually don't have something like Bisquick on hand. Instead of making a special trip to the store or letting the rest of the box sit in the pantry for months going bad I make sausage cheese balls without Bisquick.

This doesn't require a lot of additional ingredients. In fact, you probably already have them all on hand and you know for sure the quality of ingredients you're using. Here's what I use.

• Breakfast sausage in a roll - I almost always use pork Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage. But, you can use whatever brand and flavor you prefer, even turkey sausage. If you like the spicier side using hot sausage is a great option. This accounts for a lot of the flavor of the sausage balls so pick something you know you like.
• Cheese - This is another major flavor enhancer that can otherwise make your sausage balls taste bland. I like using sharp or extra-sharp cheddar for maximum flavor.
• Flour - Since we're not using a baking mix we want to add flour to help bind everything together and have a texture lighter than traditional meatballs.
• Baking powder - Bisquick contains leavening agents to help bread rise so we need to add some baking powder for the same effect.
• Seasonings - Seasoned salt, ground black pepper, ground cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. These add flavor to a recipe that can sometimes otherwise be a bit bland.
• Butter - This adds a bit of flavor and fat for moist sausage balls.

Quick And Easy Sausage Ball Tips

If you've ever made sausage cheese balls before you probably know they can take what feels like forever to mix together. If you don't want to get an arm workout I have the best tip ever for quick sausage balls.

Mix them together in your stand mixer with the dough hook! Using the dough hook instead of the beater blade helps to mix them together more evenly, plus it's easier to clean.

If you don't have a stand mixer you should be able to use the beaters on a hand mixer, but again, they will be tougher to clean.

To quickly form the sausage balls and have them the same size to cook evenly at the same time, use a small cookie scoop and scoop like you wold with cookies.

Just give them a quick roll between your hands and bake. You can put on disposable gloves before rolling if you don't want to get all that ick on your hands.

How To Make Sausage Balls Ahead Of Time

If you're making a lot of appetizers for a party you may be wondering, can I make sausage balls ahead of time? Yes, you can!

There are a few options you can choose from to go about making them ahead.

First, if you're wanting to make the sausage balls 1 - 2 days before serving you can make the recipe up to the point of baking. Just cover the raw rolled sausage balls on the baking sheet and refrigerate.

Since the sausage balls will be cold they will likely take a few extra minutes to bake. I recommend using an instant thermometer to make sure they get up to 165°F as sausage is NOT something you want to serve under cooked.

The other option is to roll and bake the sausage balls, cool them, then cover them and refrigerate them. Then all you have to do is warm them up in the oven covered with foil so they don't get too brown.

If you need an option to make them more than two days ahead you can roll and bake the balls, cool them, flash freeze on a freezer-safe pan, and then place into a freezer-safe bag or container for up to one month.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and place on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake until warmed through.

Dips For Sausage Balls

These sausage balls are great on their own but here are some ideas if you want something to dip them into and take them over the top.

• 3 Ingredient Spicy Ranch Dipping Sauce
• Creamy Cheesy Bacon Ranch Dip Recipe
• Real Cheese Queso Dip

More Favorite Party Appetizers

Here are more of our favorite recipes that I love serving at parties.

• Deviled Eggs with Bacon
• Everything Bagel Mini Pigs In A Blanket
• Crispy Pineapple-Habanero Chicken Wings
• Loaded Tater Tots Recipe
• Chicken Parmesan Meatballs Recipe