Sausage Balls With Cream Cheese Recipe

With the holidays right around the corner, you may be gearing up for all of the parties. Even if you're just a guest at a holiday party, there are quite a few things to consider, like what kind of gifts to get, drinks to share, and appetizers to bring that will please a crowd. While you could play it safe and bring a simple dip or a cheese board, why not spice things up and bring a decadent sausage delight?

Thanks to recipe developer Kate Shungu's sausage balls with cream cheese recipe, your appetizer will be an absolute favorite at any party or event. Though incredibly simple to make, these tasty little snacks are loaded with savory flavor, and it's pretty hard to not go back for seconds. "I love the tradition behind this recipe," Shungu explains. "It is a popular recipe in the South. Just thinking about how many parties that sausage balls have been served at makes me all nostalgic!" There's nothing better than channeling some favorite recipes during the holidays — so grab some sausage and just a handful of other ingredients, and let's make some sausage delights!

Before you can make these sausage balls with cream cheese, you'll want to make sure that you have the right ingredients. Naturally, sausage is the star of the recipe, and Shungu notes that there is some room for personal preference when choosing the pork. "You can use your favorite type of sausage (traditional, sage, Italian) and pair it with a complementary cheese," Shungu says. Speaking of cheese, you'll need both cream cheese and shredded cheddar — though you can also personalize the latter option. "Sage sausage pairs really well with cheddar (use sharp cheddar if you'd like)," Shungu explains. "And traditional sausage pairs nicely with Colby-Jack." Finally, to round out the dish, you'll simply need some flour, baking powder, salt, and chopped chives. It doesn't get much easier than that!

Not only are the ingredients for this recipe super simple, but the preparation is as well. First, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick cooking mat. Now, grab your stand mixer, and toss in the sausage, softened cream cheese, flour, baking powder, salt, shredded cheddar, and chopped chives. Make sure that your mixer is fitted with the paddle attachment, and then mix all of these ingredients together on low, until they form a uniform "dough" of sorts. Shungu notes that it may take a few minutes for the ingredients to all come together.

Once all of the ingredients are mixed together, you can focus on getting them into a meatball shape. Grab a small portion of the meat mixture with your hands, and roll it into a ball — you'll want each one to be roughly one inch in size. Repeat this process until you've used up all of the meat mixture, and place each ball onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, as shown in the picture. Be sure that you roll each ball into a similar size so they bake evenly, and be sure to leave some space in between each ball on the baking sheet. Once all of the balls are on the baking sheet, preheat the oven to 350 F, and then pop the balls into the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

After the oven is done preheating and the sausage balls have chilled, bake them for 24 to 28 minutes — you'll know that they're done once they reach a golden brown color. Once you pull them out of the oven, optionally top with more chopped chives, then serve and enjoy! As for beverage pairings, Shungu notes, "Beer or white wine pairs really nicely with these."

These sausage balls are best enjoyed warm, though you can also prepare them ahead of time. "You can make these ahead of time and refrigerate until you're ready to serve them," Shungu explains. "To reheat, put them in a 350 F oven for five minutes, and serve right away." With all the chaos that the holidays bring, it's nice to have an easy but delicious go-to recipe for parties — and this sausage balls with cream cheese recipe definitely fits the bill for the Thanksgiving/Christmas season and beyond!