Holiday cookies are wonderful, but I am not a cookie maker like many friends and relatives. However, I do get in the holiday spirit by making sausage balls.
The word healthy and sausage probably do not belong in the same sentence, but I have been working hard this year to eat less and to eat better.
When our office holiday party came up, I decided to make an updated version of my old standard sausage balls. I used some the same tricks that I learned while making my turkey breakfast sausage.
In the spirit of giving, I wanted to create a recipe so I decided to measure things as I made my batch for our office party on Friday morning. I promise not to use my wife's famous "cook til done" instruction in the recipe.
While some of my measurements mights seem a little strange, there is an explanation. Both cheese and real sausage are not regular inhabitants of our fridge these days so having a little left after the recipe allows us to have a treat that we normally would not have.
The few ounces of sausage, my wife and I split into three small sausage cakes for breakfast one morning. The leftover two ounces of Kraft Sharp Wisconsin cheddar cheese will be using sparingly as the important element of a few cheese and crackers over the holidays. Cheese has almost disappeared from our home.
Sausage also requires extra little explanation for those not born into the south. The absolute best country sausage that I have ever enjoyed goes by the name of Caudle's sausage. To my knowledge you can only get it at the little Galaxy Grocery Store in Bannertown, NC which is on the edge of Mount Airy, NC. (2014 update- last time we were there, it wasn't the same) The Galaxy Store used to called Caudle's when we were growing up. When it was sold they kept the recipe. In past years we have been known to head to Mount Airy with a cooler and return with some sausage.
There are a number of these secret sausage sources scattered around the country. If you have access to one of those, it just makes the sausage balls that much better.
Unfortunately Mount Airy is about five hours from our kitchen on the Southern Outer Banks, so I normally go with what is the best commercially available sausage, Neese's Sausage (another 2014 update- Carolina Pride is an acceptable, less-expensive substitute) You will only find Neese's in North Carolina, Southwest Virginia, and few other close by locations.
As to cheese I always go with Kraft Sharp Wisconsin cheese or the best cheddar that I can find.
Ingredients
12 ounces of Neese's Country Sausage
8 ounces of ground turkey (I prefer ground white meat, but 93% lean is okay)
2 cups of Bisquick Heart Smart Pancake and Baking Mix
1 tablespoon of rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of Penzey's Breakfast Sausage Seasoning
14 ounces of hand shredded Kraft Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese
Directions
Take a large mixing bowl and spread the ground turkey in a thin layer in the bottom. Dump all the spices in and work them into the turkey. I normally do it with my hands, but a fork works fairly well.
Next add the Neese's Sausage and blend it with the spiced turkey.
Pour about one third of the cheese in the bowl and work it into the sausage mixture. Continue adding cheese and mixing until you have it evenly mixed it into the sausage.
Now add about one half of the Bisquick and work it into the sausage. When you have the first half well distributed, add the rest and finish mixing.
Pre-heat your oven to 350F
I use a 17.25" by 11.5 cookie sheet- sausage balls do not need spray
When you are finished working things together, you should have something that resembles a large meatloaf, and there should be no dry ingredients remaining in your mixing bowl.
I use a small plastic mellon ball/cookie dough scoop that we bought at Bed, Bath & Beyond to keep the balls a consistent shape.
After scooping out a ball, I round the top a little with my fingers and then place it on the tray. The balls will expand so leave a little space around them. My recipe fills the tray completely.
I bake them for 22-24 minutes or until they start to brown. I remove from the baking sheet with a spatula and place them on some paper towels until they cool slightly. The towels will absorb some grease.
If I am taking the sausage balls someplace, I transfer them to a heavy casserole dish that is already warm and lined with a couple fresh paper towels. Then I cover with aluminum foil and hit the road.
They make a nice addition to a holiday office party.
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