These cheddar bay sausage balls are cheesy, savory, and made with only 5 ingredients! They’re a staple for holidays like thanksgiving or Christmas and perfect for serving on game day too!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
I’ve known traditional sausage balls to always use Bisquick rather than the Red Lobster biscuit mix. If you’ve ever had Red Lobster biscuits, then you know what I mean when I say they are to die for! With a quick swap of cheddar bay biscuit mix, these sausage balls reach a whole new level of delicious!
Even better, these cheddar bay sausage balls are super easy to make with only 5 ingredients! They’re a great appetizer or snack and always one of the first things to disappear at parties. Simply mix the ingredients together, roll into balls, and bake!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Ground sausage- mild or hot
- Cream cheese- softened
- Cheddar cheese- shredded
- Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuit mix- with the seasoning packet
- Smoked paprika
I like using the Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuit mix for this recipe because it’s convenient and already includes the garlic and herb seasoning packet in there for you!
No worries if you can’t find the Red Lobster mix though! You can also use 2 cups of Bisquick or another store-bought biscuit mix along with 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp dried parsley in place of the Red Lobster biscuit mix.
How to make the best cheddar bay sausage balls:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground sausage, softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, biscuit mix (along with the seasoning packet), and smoked paprika.
- Mix by hand or with an electric mixer until everything is well incorporated.
- Working one by one, roll the sausage mixture into 1.5 inch balls, placing them on the prepared baking sheet as you go.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown!
With a couple minutes of prep and then baking, these are ready in 30 minutes or less! If you want to make these in advance, you can do that too!
I recommend putting the uncooked tray of sausage balls in the freezer to flash freeze them for a bit, then transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2-3 months! When you’re ready to bake them, just line them up on a baking sheet straight from the freezer and increase the baking time by about 5 minutes.
My top tips:
- SAUSAGE VARIETY: You can use mild or hot Italian sausage here, depending on your personal preference. The most important thing to remember is that you are NOT cooking the sausage ahead of time. The sausage is added to the mixture raw and then baked in the oven.
- SOFTEN YOUR CREAM CHEESE: Make sure your cream cheese is softened for this recipe so that it incorporates evenly into the other ingredients. The cream cheese is what helps bind the sausage ball mixture together and keeps them soft and moist on the inside once baked.
- ROLLING THE SAUSAGE BALLS: I prefer keeping these sausage balls on the smaller side while rolling so that they are perfectly bite sized. If you want them a little larger, just be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly. Larger balls will need at least 20 minutes in the oven.
- EXCESS GREASE: If you find that there is a lot of excess grease on your pan once these are baked, I recommend transferring the sausage balls to paper towel lined plates to soak up the extra grease before serving. This will just depend on how fatty your sausage is.
- DIPPING OPTIONS: I like enjoying these as is, but feel free to serve them alongside your favorite sauces for dipping! Ranch, spicy ketchup, BBQ, and honey mustard would be some of my top recommendations!
- REHEATING LEFTOVERS: Transfer any leftovers to a Ziploc bag or airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to reheat, just pop them in the air fryer or oven as needed! You can also use the microwave; just know the exterior won’t be as crispy.
Looking for more easy appetizers? Try these out!
- Pepperoni Pizza Dip
- Cheesy Ranch Ritz Bits
- Bean and Cheese Taco Bites
- Marinated Cheese
- Biscuit Pretzel Bites
- BLT Dip
- Pull-Apart Meatball Sliders
Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground sausage mild or hot
- 4 oz softened cream cheese 1/2 a block
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 (12 oz) box Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuit mix keep the seasoning packet!
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground sausage, softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, biscuit mix (along with the seasoning packet from the box), and smoked paprika.
- Mix by hand or with an electric mixer until everything is well incorporated.
- Working one by one, roll the sausage mixture into 1.5 inch balls, placing them on the prepared baking sheet as you go.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown!
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can these be made ahead?
I finally got on the Red lobster cheddar bay biscuit mix.. THESE are delicious! I used smoked paprika and a little more cayenne pepper..
made chicken sausage recipe for my daughter in-law that does not eat pork.. added a dry ranch dressing packet , sage… OH BOY!
Hi Cindy! Glad you loved these as much as I do! 🙂