First of all, I’ve been super MIA from blog land the last several days. Lots of things to celebrate this month and I was out of town celebrating one of those things- Kevin’s graduation from VT (and him getting an awesome job)! But now I’m home for Christmas and a few days after, until we leave for NC again. Until then, I’m looking forward to catching up on all the posts I’ve missed!Of all the things my family makes at Christmas time, sausage balls are among one of the favorites, and most-requested. We make these year-round, but for some reason, they’re extra special this time of year. We actually end up making multiple batches: one for us, one for sharing with friends, and one to take to our family in NC. Several of my friends usually requests extra helpings of these, too. They’re pretty good, and addicting. You’ve been warned.I’m sure I’ve posted this recipe somewhere on here before, but I’m finally devoting a single post to it. So here’s my recipe for the best sausage balls ever.

SAUSAGE BALLS

• One, 1-lb. roll of Jimmy Dean “hot” sausage (it’s not actually that hot)
• 3 cups Bisquick
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
• Dash of cayenne pepper, if desired (for an extra kick)

Let the sausage come to room temperature. Grate the cheese while it’s still cold. Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. 

Mix with your hands–it’ll take some elbow grease and lots of kneading–until it’s well combined. Roll the “dough” into 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet. The balls don’t spread, so you can put them pretty close.

Bake at 375 degrees for 14 minutes. Best when right out of the oven.

Makes a whole lot of sausage balls… well over 6 or 7 dozen. Props to you if they last longer than a couple of days. Mine never do.