Sausage Cheese Balls

By Judge99

"Making appetizers is fun and easy with these cute and tasty sausage balls. They can even be made ahead of time, and frozen. Just thaw and bake when you need them!"

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package Regular Flavor Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage
• 3/4 cup all-purpose baking mix
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)

Details

Servings 18

Preparation

Step 1

1.Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl; stir well. Form into 1inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet; bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve with cocktail forks or toothpicks.

Footnotes:
may be prepared ahead and frozen uncooked. To bake from frozen: thaw on baking sheet 15 minutes; bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Variation for firmer texture, add 3 cups baking mix and 2 cups shredded cheese to the ingredients listed above. Time Saving Tip: One package of 9.6 oz fully cooked Jimmy Dean® Hearty Sausage Crumbles may be substituted for one 16 oz roll of fresh breakfast sausage in most dishes.