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.
Sausage Balls 2 Ways
Ingredients
The Classic Sausage Ball Recipe:
- ½ lb. raw pork sausage (casings removed)
- 1 cup Bisquick or other biscuit/pancake mix
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese
The Asian-inspired Sausage Ball Recipe:
- ½ lb. ground pork
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon ginger (grated)
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
