Disclaimer: This recipe is not healthy. It’s basically fat city. #whocares #itsChristmas
Yes, sausage balls aren’t exactly the healthiest of holiday appetizers. But what better time to indulge in a few of these awkwardly named treats than this time of year, when waistbands are loose and thoughts of dieting are quietly suppressed? I guess that makes me an enabler, but I’m ok with that. Moderation is key.
The impetus for this sausage ball recipe actually didn’t originate with me, but a Woks of Life reader currently deployed overseas. Sausage balls were always his favorite part of his family’s holiday menu, and having already bookmarked numerous TWOL recipes to try when he gets back to the States, he suggested that we do an Asian-inspired version.
Honestly, I’d never even heard of this particular appetizer. I suspect it may be a regional thing (it’s also perfectly possible that we’ve just been living under a rock). This being the case, I had to make the classic version first, which is basically a mixture of sausage, Bisquick (or your preferred biscuit/pancake mix), and cheese. A LOT of cheese. You know, just to see what the fuss was all about.
Well I have to say that the fuss is pretty justified. Because they’re freakin’ amazing. I took one bite and let loose a stream of expletives that I won’t repeat (we’re a family blog, after all). Suffice it to say, they were good.
After that, I made an Asian twist version by adding a few ingredients—things like Sriracha, garlic, ginger, scallions, and sesame seeds. Thanks Daryl, for introducing these to us; we hope you like our version!
Below are the recipes for both the classic and Asian versions. We used a mixture of extra sharp white and yellow cheddar, but you can feel free to use whatever cheese you like. Each recipe yields about 30 sausage balls, and the classic sausage ball recipe was adapted from allrecipes.com. According to them, you can freeze these after baking and reheat them at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Woo!
The Classic Sausage Ball Recipe:
- ½ lb. raw pork sausage, casings removed
- 1 cup Bisquick or other biscuit/pancake mix
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl, form into small balls, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden.
The Asian-inspired Sausage Ball Recipe:
- ½ lb. ground pork
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- ¼ cup finely chopped scallion
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 cup Bisquick or other biscuit/pancake mix
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl, form into small balls, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden.
- ½ lb. raw pork sausage, casings removed
- 1 cup Bisquick or other biscuit/pancake mix
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese
- ½ lb. ground pork
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- ¼ cup finely chopped scallion
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 cup Bisquick or other biscuit/pancake mix
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese
- For each recipe, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl, form into small balls, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden.
Sara says
I tried these as appetizers for Christmas Eve. In my opinion. the Classic ones were quite bland and had way too much cheese. Although, I opted to add half the amount of cheese to the Asian-inspired variety, they were much better; they had much needed flavor.
Sarah says
Thanks for sharing your experience Sara! I actually prefer the classic ones––depends on the sausage used I guess, but I also do love how simple they are. But very glad that you enjoyed the asian twist on them!
Jerry Hegwood says
I just took my Asian sausage balls out the oven. I must say they not only look awesome but they taste divine! Keep the receipes coming because I absolutely love them!!!
Sarah says
YES! So glad you liked them Jerry!
AustinGirl says
LOVE these! My mother-in-law introduced them to me, when I first started dating my husband, a million years ago. SO GOOD!! I did want to add that a) you can use gluten free baking mix and they’re just as magical, which is not the normal case with gf substitutions and b) you MUST try the traditional ones dipped in ranch dressing. I’m not someone who feels that all things need to go in ranch dressing, but these are elevated to the next level with some ranch. Yum.
Sarah says
Awesome tips! Thanks so much for stopping by, and Happy Holidays!
Leigh says
We used to make these years ago. They were one of the first appetizers I cooked myself. I always made a sweet and spicy dipping sauce to go with them. It was a good combination of flavors.
Leigh
Sarah says
Thanks for sharing, Leigh!
Daryl Casey says
Thank you so much for doing this! Although I won’t be able to try them until I get home, I am sharing this recipe with all my family and friends. Seeing your photos of the sausage balls brought a smile to my face and a tear to my eyes. They’re just one more thing that I miss being away from home during the holiday season.
I’m glad I was able to share my addiction to those little cheesy, pork filled spheres of deliciousness with you and the readers of TWOL. Best blog ever!!
Take care and Happy Hoildays,
Daryl
Sarah says
Hi Daryl, it was really our pleasure. Thanks so much again for introducing us to these awesome little appetizers. We seriously LOVE hearing from readers and were so glad to receive your email. If you end up making these when you get home, let us know what you think! We’d love the feedback. :)