Sausage balls make a simple, savory finger food
Perhaps by now you are feeling a little over-socialized after a month or more of gathering, eating, decorating, eating, parties and eating. But the New Year celebrations are yet to come and then life settles down a bit. One finger food that never gets old for me at these events is one that has been around for decades: Sausage balls.
Food historians have traced the origins of this delicacy back to the late 1400s when monks in England munched on a medieval version. It consisted of chopped onions, ground cinnamon, sausage and breadcrumbs. The mixture was rolled into balls, then simmered before being fried in lard. At that time, they were referred to as morterells.
General Mills popularized the current recipe as a use for a new convenience product they introduced called Bisquick. This baking product was the brain child of Carl Smith, a sales executive for the company. To this day, the recipe for sausage balls is the single most requested recipe for using Bisquick.
The recipe couldn’t be easier. The baking mix serves as a binder for a mixture of sausage and grated cheese. Some get creative and add extras to the mix, but really,
these three ingredients are all you need to make a crowd friendly, satisfying finger food.
There are some tips for making it the best it can be. I always grate my own cheese and use sharp cheddar. Packaged shredded cheese has a moisture inhibitor to extend the shelf life and keep it from sticking together. But in this case, we want the moisture from freshly grated cheese.
Using hot sausage is the best, even for those who say they don’t like spicy foods. Also, use a scoop to make the balls an even size for uniform cooking. Any lastly, there is no need to grease the baking pan thanks to the fat in the sausage.
Tammy Algood is the author of five cookbooks and can be seen on “Volunteer Gardener” on PBS stations in Tennessee. Follow her at www.hauteflavor.com