When it comes to holiday foods we all have our guilty pleasures, those foods we don't eat (or won't own up to eating) any other time of year. This is the kind of concoction you're ashamed to admit craving, and eating it is often a private affair, like viewing pornography or cheating with your best friend's spouse. Okay, so maybe I exaggerate, but fair to say you feel the need to do penance with every bite by saying out loud, "Oh, this is so bad for me..."
So it is with sausage balls, my personal holiday food vice; unhealthy, greasy, carb laden treats likely conceived in a trailer park by a cook with more imagination than time, a block of government cheese, and a roll of Jimmy Dean sausage that was about to go bad.
My husband loves them (whatever that says about him) and they are unbelievably good. Also extremely quick and easy to make in a season of complicated, keep-you-in-the-kitchen-all-day, holiday recipes. All you need is a box of Bisquick, a pound of sausage, and a big chunk of supermarket cheddar.
Culinary abomination or national foodie treasure? You decide.
SAUSAGE BALLS
1 pound ground sausage (mild, regular or hot, depending on how spicy you like 'em)
3 cups Bisquick baking mix
4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of your food processor. Form into 1-inch balls. (Resist the urge to make them bigger. They will rise as they cook. First time I made them I ended up with tennis ball sized sausage balls. Good, but more a meal than a treat.) Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
Serve with a mayonnaise/mustard dip (1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon mustard), honey-mustard or other favorite condiments, or just eat as is, the way I prefer them.
Bet you can't eat just one.
No comments:
Post a Comment