The Strange Deliciousness of Toddler Sausage Balls
These ugly-delicious monsters of meat and dairy function like an inverted sausage biscuit sandwich but eat like a meatball–are they a breakfast dish, or are they dinner? Yes! In the South, they’re known as “sausage balls” (true enough!); in our house, we have a simple and singular name for ‘em, no matter what time of day they are served: the guilty pleasure meal.
One look at the ingredient list below and you’ll see why: no one will accuse these guys of being healthy; no one can deny, even if all you have to go on is the accompanying photo and ingredients, how delicious they are. Meaty, rich, even a bit tangy and sweet (if you dip into the accompanying sauce)--they hit all dopamine registers in the most satisfying, if not most basic, way. We parents pop ‘em like, well, popcorn; make them small enough and your child will attack them the same way he/she does chicken nuggies. They’re so good, in fact, that you’ll make them (for yourself) even when your child says no.
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour (Note: in the South it is quite common to use Bisquick; if you do, you do not need to add flour, baking powder, or the ranch seasoning)
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- Ranch Seasoning (can also use Buttermilk Powder)
- 4 oz Shredded Cheese (cheddar is the go-to, but almost any sharp and salty cheese will work here)
- 8 oz Ground Pork (feel free to use ground sausage meat, such as “Breakfast Sausage” or “Italian Sausage”)
- 3 tbsp Butter
- Yogurt (or mayo)
- Mustard
- Maple Syrup (or honey)
- If using, preheat your oven to 375. (Air fryer instructions are provided in the next section.) Cover a shallow-rimmed pan with parchment paper (or, in absence of it, oil or spray the pan so the balls won’t stick). If you can, allow the pork meat to sit out for at least 10-15 minutes before putting the dish together so that it is more pliable.
- Add flour, baking powder, several dashes of the ranch powder, and the cheese to a bowl; stir or sift until combined. Melt the butter and add it and the sausage to the bowl
- Using your hands, work the ingredients into a dough. Yes, you’ll need to knead it: smush, punch, round, et al. everything the bowl until it sticks together as one large dough ball. This may take several minutes. (See Note for troubleshooting tips.)
- Pull off small chunks of the flour-cheese-meat ball and, with your hands, round into small balls; place balls onto your pan.
Heating instructions:
- Oven: heat until the top of the balls is starting to turn golden brown (a la a biscuit) and the meat is clearly cooked through, roughly 15 minutes. If the flour and/or meat is not fully cooked, or if the size of the sausage balls are larger, return to the oven to cook for another three minutes.
- Air Fryer: Coat the bottom of your air fryer basket with cooking spray and place the balls around the basket, making sure they don’t touch; cook for 5-7 minutes at 350–less time if your air fryer runs hot/powerful, and more time if it usually takes you the full recommended time to cook things in your air fryer.
While balls cook, make the dipping sauce: add one big dollop of yogurt or mayo, followed by two or three squirts of mustard and a splash of syrup or honey; mix. Do a taste test and determine how to improve: you can add more mustard and/or syrup if the sauce isn’t tangy enough; if the sauce is too thick, add a splash or two of water to thin out.
As the accompanying picture suggests, we like to splay these on a platter and serve as poppable bites; for a younger child, halve or quarter each ball, putting a bit of the sauce on the side for dipping. Keep any additional items on the plate light and healthy (i.e., broccoli florets, carrot coins), as these balls are quite rich and heavy.
Like the idea of this recipe but can't/don't want to use pork? You're going to need enough fat in whatever you choose to ensure the meat doesn't dry out as the flour cooks; beef with a 80/20 would be your next best bet. If you want to make poultry work, try adding a bit of mayo to the ground white meat, or increasing the amount of butter used when making the balls.
Forming the sausage-flour-cheese mixture into a workable dough can be a grind. If you're having difficulty getting it to stick together, two things may help: 1) try drizzling another 1/2-1 tbsp of melted butter over the mixture, smooshing and pressing the batter together until it binds; 2) form balls as best as you can, then refrigerate for 15-20 minutes so they firm up and stick together.