Holiday Appetizer for the Freezer

This morning was super busy for me, so I knew I wasn’t going to have a ton of time to participate in the Bloggy Progressive Dinner and Freezer Cooking Day.  And I was right.  It’s been crazy land here with me and my three little people.

So I brainstormed about what I could make that was an appetizer that could be frozen also.

Sausage Balls.

I was thrilled with myself that I’d thought of this fabulous idea and shared it with my husband.

His response: “Those aren’t appetizers.  They’re hors d’oeuvres.”

Oh really?  Hmmm…

I had to do some research on that claim, so I quickly scanned my recipe books.  I’m thrilled to report that Paula calls them appetizers in her cook book.  So we’ll take her word for it!

So here they are:

This is a super simple recipe, as it only uses three ingredients.  There are many variations of the recipe, but I almost always choose simple.

• 1 pound fresh sausage – I obviously prefer Jimmy Dean.
• 8-oz. of Sharp Cheddar Cheese – It melts better if you grate it yourself.  The pre-shredded kind has additives so it doesn’t clump.
• 3 cups of biscuit mix – I make my own.  If anyone is interested I can post the recipe, which I’ve used for years.  So it’s reliable.

Place all ingredients in a bowl.  I’m not sure I could cook without the one pictured.  It makes OAMC so much easier!

Mix the ingredients together with your hands.  It is too hard to mix with a spoon, so definitely use your hands.  If the mixture seems too dry, add a little water but only a tablespoon at the time.  You don’t want to add too much and the mixture be too loose.

After the ingredients are incorporated, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls.  You may place them close together on a baking sheet since they don’t spread as a cookie would.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so.

When fully cooked, drain sausage balls on a paper towel.

If eating now, place on a serving tray and share with your family and friends!

To freeze: Place cooked sausage balls on a baking sheet and place in the freezer.  Flash freeze them (freeze for an hour or two until hard) and then remove and place in a ziploc bag.  To serve, place thawed sausage balls on a baking sheet and reheat in a 300 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes or until warmed through.

These are great for an appetizer, but they are also wonderful to have in the freezer to pull out for a quick breakfast.  Pull a couple from the freezer and cook on 250-300 degrees in the toaster oven.  They truly taste like you just made them!

Tagged as: Cooking, OAMC