If you're wondering what a sausage ball even is, we've got the answer for you: golden bites of cooked pork sausage, cheddar, and Bisquick. Savory and cheesy, it's easy to see why these bite-sized apps are a classic holiday appetizer in many households. Whether you're serving them at your holiday dinner or for a game day app, just make sure your guests finish them — otherwise you'll be popping these bad boys for days after your party ends.
Can they be made ahead of time?
You can make the sausage mixture up to 24 hours in advance. Shape the mixture into balls and refrigerate them on a parchment-lined baking sheet until ready to bake.
What's a substitute for Bisquick?
If you don't want to use Bisquick or another boxed biscuit mix, no problem. Simply swap in 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt for this recipe.
What kind of sausage can I use?
Our favorite sausage for sausage balls is ground Italian pork sausage— you can use sweet or spicy! —but you can also use chicken or turkey sausage. Just make sure it's the kind you buy raw; if it comes in links remove them from the casings. Pre-cooked sausage links will not work for this recipe.
Want to spice things up? You could use Mexican (not Spanish cured) chorizo! For a breakfast version, try using herbaceous, maple-y breakfast sausage.
Can I change up the cheese?
Always! We love cheddar since it's always a crowd-pleaser, but stirring in some Parmesan would totally give these even more dimension. But honestly, most of your favorite cheeses will likely work in these bites: Gruyère, pepper jack, mozzarella...the options are endless!
Tip: Because there are no wet ingredients, these may seem crumbly when forming into balls — don't fear! Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature (and you may need to work at the mixture a bit), and they will form.
Made this version of the classic? Let us know how they came out in the comments below!
Editor's note: This intro was updated to add more information about the dish on October 3, 2022.
