Sausage balls for 12: fresh pork sausage, sharp cheddar and biscuit mix, rolled into about 48 bites and baked at home. Shape them the night before in about 25 minutes, bake them the morning of the game and serve them warm or at room temperature at the lot, all inside 2 hours.
Feeds: 12 (about 48 balls) · Hands-on: about 25 min · Total: about 50 min
Home gear: 2 rimmed baking sheets, parchment, a 9 × 13 in. foil pan with a lid or foil, and an instant-read thermometer
Pack for the lot
- Sausage balls, covered and wrapped in a towel, in an empty, dry cooler
- Dipping sauce, in the food cooler
- Toothpicks
- Napkins
- Instant-read thermometer
- Trash bags
Lot notes
- Fuel: none needed. They're baked at home, so they work in any lot and the grill stays free.
- Holding them warm: a foil pan wrapped in a towel inside an empty cooler keeps them warm for the drive. They don't have to stay hot to taste good, but the 2-hour limit counts from the oven, drive included.
- Long day at the lot: if the drive and the wait add up to more than 2 hours, bake them the night before, cool them, and carry them cold in the food cooler at 40°F or below. Put out a batch at a time, or warm them in a covered foil pan on the cool side of the grill until they read 165°F.
- Keep them tender: shred the cheddar yourself. Pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking coating that makes the balls dry and crumbly.
- Cleanup: toothpicks and napkins go in the trash bag. Fold the foil pan and toss it.
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?
Bake them right before you leave, cover the foil pan and wrap it in a towel inside an empty cooler. Serve them within 2 hours of coming out of the oven, or 1 hour when it's over 90°F.
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.