This is another one of those posts that includes 2 recipes in one. Not only do you get the cookies, but traditional sausage balls as they’re known in their original form. Be excited!!
Over the years, some of my favorite Christmas memories include the things that happen in the morning on Christmas day. Nothing ever could beat the feeling of waking bright and early with sleep (restless sleep at that) still in my eyes and head, and wearing my Christmas PJ’s out into the living room to find our tree, towering and twinkling, protruding from the mount of offerings left by the mysterious jolly elf clad in red and white. My sister and I could hardly ever prevent ourselves from at least tearing into the stockings before breakfast and the recitation of the Christmas Story. And Breakfast. That was one of the things I remember most, because the smells would enthrone our whole house, and it was the one time during the year when we got to eat breakfast casserole. And this wasn’t the only thing we would eat all day, by a long shot. There was a fountain of candy that seemed to have sprung from a well deep somewhere underneath our house that probably ran through a pipeline all the way up to the North Pole. And the Christmas cookies, which Mom had spent weeks making (and making us help her make), which explained why we had to annex the downstairs freezer just to hold all the overflow. And then Christmas dinner. And dessert. And leftovers.
My wife had traditions too, which often included many of these same things. I get to experience some of those this year, as we’re spending Christmas with her dad for the first time since we got married. For her, though, one of the things she loved best was sausage balls. I understand why, because it’s like if breakfast and finger foods had a baby, that’s what you would get. And finger foods are great, because you can eat one at a time until you can’t. And then you wonder how you got so full, because you only had one at a time, and it seemed like you hadn’t eaten that many (plus when you eat things one-at-a-time, the calories don’t count). We’ve all been there, and continue to go there every holiday season from football season until after the New Year. By the way, cookies work the same way. Her dad has his own way of making sausage balls, and they’re pretty great, I have to say. It’s also pretty easy, and all you have to do is mix it well, form it into balls on a baking sheet, and bake it for 15-17 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. This is his recipe.
- 2 C. Pioneer Brand baking mix (same as Bisquick, to my knowledge)
- 1 lb. hot ground sausage (unbrowned)
- 1 lb. block extra-sharp Cracker Barrel brand cheddar cheese, grated by hand
So, here’s my rendition of a favorite from both my childhood and my wife’s– it’s a nod to not only the classic sausage balls, but also the sausage breakfast casserole and the endless varieties of Christmas cookies that herald the holiday season every year. They’re great for an office party, a tailgate or Superbowl party, or to share with your family on Christmas morning. Also, this recipe yields about 4 dozen cookies. This is a much doughier recipe than my father-in-law’s, which allows for a more cookie-like outcome.
- 1 lb. Bob Evan’s spicy ground pork sausage (browned and drained)
- 3 C. Bisquick baking mix
- 1 lb. block extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated by hand (got mine at Trader Joe’s)
- 1 can Campbell’s cream of chicken soup
- 1 can milk
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat your oven to 350.
- Brown the sausage and drain off the fat.
- Mix the Bisquick, milk, soup, paprika and salt together.
- Fold in the sausage and cheese.
- Onto a greased cookie sheet, drop about 1 1/2 tbs. of the dough in rows about 1 inch or so apart.
- Bake in batches for about 25 minutes, until they begin to brown lightly on top.
NOTES:
You may opt to buy mild sausage when you’re looking at the many varieties of sausage options in the store. Let me give you fair warning, though. You’ll probably be sorry if you buy mild sausage, because it yields a pretty bland result. The nice thing about sausage balls is that they have a little bit of a kick and a really nice flavor as a result of the spices in the sausage. You’re going to want that in these cookies, too. Also, note that included in both recipes is a 1 lb. block of extra-sharp cheddar. My father-in-law used the Cracker Barrel brand, which may not be available everywhere. The reason, though, that it needs to be in block-form is that pre-shredded cheese has less oil in it than the block does. Also, pre-shredded cheese typically has a little bit of corn starch in it that keeps the shreds from sticking together and keeps it dry inside the package. These are not qualities you want in these sausage balls/cookies. Do yourself a favor and shred the cheddar by hand.
The Un-Snooty Foodie 