Generational 3-Ingredient Sausage Balls
Front Porch Gatherings & Holiday Traditions
If you have ever found yourself on a Southern porch with a paper plate in hand, you know the profound comfort of these sausage balls. Born from the mid-century marriage of regional pork and boxed convenience, this is the unembellished, three-ingredient truth of authentic Southern hospitality. Skip the modern internet crutches and added spices; the secret lies entirely in the patience of kneading room-temperature pork fat and freshly grated cheddar with your bare hands until it surrenders into a perfect dough. It is unpretentious, deeply traditional, and utterly foolproof if you respect the technique.
Before you start
Allow both the sausage and the block of cheese to sit at room temperature for thirty minutes before you begin.
Cold pork fat is solid and will not easily incorporate into the dry flour, resulting in a dense, overworked, and ultimately crumbly failure.
Ingredients
- bulk pork breakfast sausage1 lb
- sharp cheddar cheese block8 oz
- baking mix1 1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 02
Combine the room-temperature sausage, freshly grated cheddar, and baking mix in a large bowl.
Do not use a spoon or spatula for this process.
- 03
Wash your hands, take off your rings, and knead the mixture vigorously with your bare hands for three to five minutes.
It will look impossibly dry at first, but do not panic and do not add water. The ambient warmth of your hands will slowly melt the pork fat and cheese, eventually forming a cohesive, slightly sticky dough.
- 04
Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll them between your palms to create uniform one-inch spheres.
Using a medium cookie scoop ensures they bake evenly without the smaller ones drying out. Space them about an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- 05
Bake for twenty to twenty-five minutes until the exteriors are crispy and golden-brown.
The internal temperature of the pork must reach 165°F.
- 06
Transfer the baked balls immediately to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess grease.
Serve warm or at room temperature alongside a simple dip of equal parts mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.
Notes
Absolutely do not buy pre-shredded bagged cheese for this recipe.
Commercial pre-shredded cheese is coated in cellulose to prevent clumping, which acts as a moisture barrier and will turn your sausage balls into dry, crumbly sawdust.
Use standard, fatty pork sausage rather than lean poultry alternatives.
The canonical texture relies entirely on an 80/20 fat ratio to hydrate the dry baking mix. If you must use turkey or chicken sausage, you will likely need to add a tablespoon of whole milk to bind the dough.
These are the ultimate make-ahead party food.
You can roll the raw mixture into balls, freeze them solid on a baking sheet, and transfer them to a bag. Bake them straight from frozen by adding three to five extra minutes to the oven time.
From Cook Southern Food.