Sausage balls are the bite that tastes as good at air temperature as hot: fresh pork sausage, sharp cheddar and biscuit mix, rolled and baked. That's what makes them easy tailgate food, and in the South somebody always brings them.
At the lot: Bake them the morning of the game and carry them warm, or chill them and warm them on the cool side of the grill. Homegating: Bake them right before kickoff and serve them with a dipping sauce.
Home gear: 2 rimmed baking sheets, parchment, a 9 × 13 in. foil pan with a lid or foil, and an instant-read thermometer
45 MIN
At home, shaped the night before
5 MIN
At the lot
12
Serves
Ingredients
Sausage balls
- 1 lb fresh pork breakfast sausage (regular or hot), raw
- 3 cups biscuit baking mix
- 4 cups (16 oz) shredded sharp cheddar, shredded from the block
- ¼ cup milk, plus 1 to 2 tbsp more if the mix is crumbly
Serve
- ½ cup honey mustard or ranch, for dipping (optional)
Steps
At home
- Let the sausage and cheese sit out for 15 minutes so they mix easier. Put the sausage, baking mix, cheddar and milk in a large bowl and work it together with your hands, or with the paddle of a stand mixer on low, until no dry mix is left. If it won't hold together, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Roll it into 1-inch balls, about 1 tablespoon each. You'll get about 48. To make them ahead, set them on a parchment-lined sheet, cover and refrigerate overnight, or freeze them on the sheet and bag them for up to 1 month.
- The morning of the game, heat the oven to 375°F. Space the balls 1 inch apart on 2 parchment-lined sheets and bake 18 to 22 minutes, swapping the sheets halfway, until browned and the center of a ball reads 160°F. From frozen, add 5 to 8 minutes.
- Pile them into the foil pan, cover it and wrap the pan in a towel. The 2-hour clock starts when they come out of the oven, so bake as close to leaving as you can.
At the lot
- Set the pan out in the shade with the dip and toothpicks as soon as you're parked.
- Serve them warm or at room temperature. Toss whatever is left 2 hours after they came out of the oven, or 1 hour when it's over 90°F.
Pack for the lot
Lot notes
- Keep them tender: shred the cheddar yourself. Pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking coating that makes the balls dry and crumbly.
Can you make sausage balls ahead of time?
Yes. Shape them and refrigerate them overnight, or freeze them raw for up to 1 month and bake from frozen. You can also bake them the night before and carry them cold in the cooler.
How do you keep sausage balls warm at a tailgate?
For a short drive, bake them right before you leave, cover the foil pan and wrap it in a towel inside an empty cooler. For a long day, bake them the night before, carry them cold, and warm a batch at a time on the cool side of the grill. The holding rules are in how to keep food hot at a tailgate.
How many sausage balls do you need for 20 people?
Plan on 4 or 5 each, so 80 to 100. Double the recipe: 2 lb of sausage, 6 cups of baking mix, 8 cups of cheddar and ½ cup of milk makes about 96.
Why are my sausage balls dry?
Usually it's pre-shredded cheese or too much baking mix for the sausage. Shred the cheddar from the block, add a splash of milk until the mix holds together, and pull them at 160°F instead of letting them go dark.
Gear for this cook
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