Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 454 g bulk pork sausage, room temperature
- 454 g sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 340 g biscuit baking mix
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 175 C (350 F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the room temperature bulk pork sausage, freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, and biscuit baking mix.
Using clean hands, knead the mixture together thoroughly. The mixture will seem very dry and crumbly at first, but continue kneading until the fat from the sausage and cheese binds the dry mix into a cohesive dough.
Pinch off small pieces of the dough and roll them into balls roughly 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) in diameter. Place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet. A small cookie scoop makes this process faster and more uniform.
Bake in the preheated oven at 175 C (350 F) for 20 to 25 minutes. The sausage balls are done when they are golden brown and the internal temperature of the pork reaches a safe 74 C (165 F).
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the sausage balls to rest for 5 minutes before transferring them to a serving platter. This helps the cheese set up so they do not fall apart.
Chef's Notes
- Always grate your own cheese from a block. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents like cellulose that prevent the cheese from melting smoothly and binding properly with the sausage and baking mix.
- For the absolute best texture, letting your sausage and grated cheese sit at room temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes before mixing is crucial. This slight warming makes the fat much easier to work into the dry baking mix.
- Customization is easy: swap the sharp cheddar for pepper jack, use a spicy hot breakfast sausage, or mix in some finely chopped chives and a pinch of cayenne pepper to elevate the flavor profile.
- When shaping the mixture, a 1-tablespoon capacity cookie scoop ensures uniform sizes so all the appetizers bake evenly at the exact same rate.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 3 months — Can be frozen raw or baked. If freezing raw, bake from frozen and add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
Reheating: Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or bake at 175 C / 350 F for 10 minutes until warmed through.
