Try this Sausage Cheese Balls Recipe recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 6.36890413333333 g
- Cholesterol 0.256 mg
- Fat 0.0638134666666667 g
- Fiber 0.0199033338816961 g
- Protein 0.194306 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0385380666666667 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (24g)
- Sodium 5.43158666666667 mg
- Sugar 6.34900079945164 g
- Trans Fat 0.00479686666666667 g
- Calories 26 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat the oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the cheese, then mix in the sausage, green onions, and nutmeg, with your hands, until it comes together like a dough. Add the two tablespoons of milk in, mixing until just combined and you can form balls of sausage with your hands.
- Using a cookie scoop (it helps to have a small bowl of water to dip your scoop in), scoop mixture into 1 inch balls, placing on your prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 450°F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes for a bit of extra color. Let rest of 5 minutes (they need to cool slightly before they will release from the foil), then enjoy hot or at room temperature!
- Do ahead: you can make the mix, form the balls, and place in the fridge until you want to bake your balls off.
Substituting a plant-based bulk sausage for traditional pork alters the fat ratio significantly, requiring careful attention to the flour-to-fat balance so the mixture holds its spherical shape during baking. Culinary adaptations often demand creative problem-solving when removing core components like dairy and meat from classic party appetizers. Because traditional binders rely heavily on the melting characteristics of cheddar and the rendered pork fat inside a high-heat environment set to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, alternative ingredients must compensate for structural integrity. Utilizing a reliable spring-loaded cookie scoop dipped periodically in cold water prevents the sticky dough mass from clinging to metal utensils, ensuring uniformity across all fifty portions.
Adapting for Dietary Needs
Modifying this formulation for vegan or gluten-free diets shifts the chemistry of the dough completely, necessitating specific adjustments to the dry ingredients and liquid ratios. Standard wheat flour provides gluten strands that trap expanding gases from the baking powder, whereas alternative flours lack this protein network and require xanthan gum or starch blends to prevent the baked bites from crumbling upon cooling. Dairy-free cheese substitutes melt differently than aged cheddar, often retaining their solid shape or releasing excess moisture that must be countered by reducing the initial two tablespoons of milk. Monitoring the oven closely during the final two minutes under the broiler prevents scorching while achieving adequate surface browning on alternative proteins that lack natural sugars for caramelization.
Batch Scaling and Advance Preparation
Producing fifty individual portions makes this preparation ideal for large gatherings, though scaling the dry and wet components requires precise measurement to maintain the delicate leavening balance of one tablespoon of baking powder per two cups of flour. Preparing the mixture ahead of time offers distinct advantages, as chilling the formed raw spheres in the refrigerator for up to twenty-four hours solidifies the fats and simplifies handling. Allowing the baked items to rest undisturbed on the foil-lined baking sheet for five minutes after removal from the oven permits the internal starches to set, ensuring the exterior releases cleanly without tearing the crust.
