Red Lobster Sausage Balls
Four ingredients in one bowl and 25 minutes in the oven. These cheddar bay sausage balls use the boxed Red Lobster biscuit mix and its seasoning packet, raw pork sausage, sharp cheddar and cream cheese, which is what keeps them tender.
Ingredients
Everything in One Bowl
- 1 box Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix about 11 oz, seasoning packet included
- 1 lb ground pork sausage raw and bulk, hot or mild
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated from a block
- 4 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowl
- Stand Mixer or Spoon
Instructions
Mix in One Bowl
- Heat the oven. Set it to 350°F (175°C) and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. The cheese that runs out will stick permanently to bare metal.
- Combine everything at once. Tip the biscuit mix, the seasoning packet from the box, the raw sausage, the grated cheddar and the softened cream cheese into one large bowl. There is no creaming and no order to follow.
- Mix until it just holds. About a minute on low with a stand mixer and the paddle, or 3 to 4 minutes by hand. Stop as soon as a squeezed handful holds together, because overmixing develops the flour and the bites turn tough.
Roll the Balls
- Roll about 36 balls. Scoop generous tablespoons and roll each into a ball a little over an inch across. Space them an inch apart on the lined pan so dry heat reaches all sides. Chilling the tray for 10 minutes here keeps them from slumping.
Bake and Rest
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes. They are ready when the tops are deep golden and the cheese pooled at the base has gone lacy and brown. An instant-read thermometer in the largest ball should reach 160°F.
- Rest, then serve. Let them sit on the pan for 5 minutes before moving them, because they are fragile straight from the oven. Serve warm with ranch or a mustard dip.
Notes
Make ahead: the mixture can be made a day early and refrigerated, and it is easier to roll cold. Rolled unbaked balls keep on a covered tray in the fridge for a day; add 2 minutes to the bake if they go in cold.
Freezing: freeze rolled raw balls on a tray until solid, then bag them for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 350°F and add 4 to 5 minutes. Baked ones freeze too and reheat from frozen at 325°F for 15 minutes.
Storage: airtight in the refrigerator for 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 325°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or in an air fryer at 350°F for 4 minutes, rather than in the microwave.
Doneness: deep golden tops with lacy browned cheese at the base, and 160°F in the center of the largest ball.
No Cheddar Bay mix: use 2 1/4 cups of plain biscuit baking mix, 1 extra cup of grated cheddar and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Pepper jack in place of half the cheddar, or 2 tablespoons of drained diced pickled jalapeno, both work well.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 42mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 0.6mg