Easy Sausage Cheese Balls Recipe

If you've ever been in charge of making an appetizer for an event, then you know all too well that it can be a pretty daunting task. Sure, there are some go-to appetizers that always tend to please an entire crowd of people, such as cocktail wieners, tortilla chips and guacamole, pretzel bites with mustard, or mozzarella sticks. While all of these classic appetizers are great, you might be in the mood to switch things up a bit — and that's where we come in. We're serving up this delicious and easy-to-put-together recipe that'll be a major hit at your next get-together. (You can thank us later!)

These easy sausage cheese balls are a great option for an appetizer that isn't super complicated or time-consuming to make. Recipe developer Angela Latimer of Bake It With Love is the creative behind this simple, yet undeniably tasty sausage cheese ball dish that truly gives the traditional meatball a run for its money. Latimer notes that these easy sausage cheese balls are great to serve at your next party, brunch, holiday gathering, or even on game day as a fun treat (along with other fun finger foods). The possibilities are truly endless with this recipe!

In order to whip up these sausage cheese balls, you'll need to round up a few simple ingredients, some of which you may already have on hand. The main meat in these meatballs is, of course, sausage, and you can use any kind that you'd like. (However, Latimer notes that she prefers the hot or spicy kind.) You'll also need shredded cheese, and while you can use any kind, sharp cheddar cheese is a great option to give these sausage balls the ultimate flavor. Next, you'll need to gather Bisquick baking mix that will add some density to the sausage balls. And finally, you'll need a little bit of milk so the cheese balls come out nice and moist. (Optionally, you can also add in some freeze-dried parsley.)

Now that you have your ingredients all sorted out and ready to go, you can start to make your easy sausage cheese balls. Luckily, the procedure for making this recipe is just as simple as the ingredients list! 

First, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 F, and line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper, depending on the size of your sheets. You'll start by grabbing a large mixing bowl and adding in your sausage, cheese, Bisquick mix, and freeze-dried parsley. Using a wooden spoon or simply using your freshly-washed hands, give these ingredients a thorough mix until everything is evenly combined.

After you've mixed all of your ingredients together, you should have an even and cohesive meatball "dough," which should look something like the above picture. You may notice that your mixture is a bit dry or isn't sticking together very well. If this is the case, don't fret! Simply grab some of your milk, and drizzle a little bit in, then mix everything together again. Drizzle more milk as needed to create a cohesive meatball batter that doesn't crumble apart easily. You likely won't need more than ¼ cup of milk, so add it in small amounts — you don't want to add too much, otherwise your meatball dough will be too wet.

Once you've formed your sausage cheese ball batter, you can begin to form them into meatball shapes. Using your hands, form the batter into 1 to 1 ½-inch balls, as shown in the above picture. Then, carefully lay the balls out onto your prepared baking sheet, ensuring that there's enough space in between each one. You should have enough batter to make roughly 24 meatballs. 

Once you've formed all the cheesy sausage balls, pop your baking sheet(s) into the oven, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Latimer notes that hers were perfectly cooked right at the 23-minute mark. At that point, go ahead and remove the sausage balls from the oven.

Now that your easy sausage cheese balls are done cooking, you can go ahead and enjoy them! Latimer notes that these are best enjoyed when they're fresh out of the oven, as they tend to harden as time goes by. Plus, when you enjoy them fresh from the oven, every bite will have delicious warmth and moisture. We're willing to bet that it won't be too hard to finish them off in just one sitting.

As for toppings and dipping sauces, Latimer says that her go-to mix of cajun spice, basil, and sour cream is a really great dipping choice. Of course, you can dip them in anything you'd like, though they'll also be just as delicious if you eat them plain. Don't worry about what appetizer to bring to your next event, because these easy sausage cheese balls will leave everyone satisfied and begging for the recipe.