Chipotle cranberry sausage balls

Behold the sausage ball. It’s not the prettiest treat on the appetizer table but it’s certainly one of the more popular. Indeed, I dare anyone to stop eating after popping one of these savory morsels into their mouth. Nope, if you’ve had one sausage ball then I’m going to assume that you’ve had at least two and perhaps even three. They go down easy and invite you to try at least one more.

For those of you not familiar with the sausage ball, if you are looking at the photo above in all its ugly glory, you may be thinking that I’ve lost my mind. As I said, they’re kind of lumpy and odd. But it’s not always about looks. And with the sausage ball—it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

If you grew up in Texas or the South, then chances are you spent some time making sausage balls with a loved one as a kid. I know that I did, as my grandma and I would produce batch after batch before people came over for special occasions.

To prepare the basic sausage ball, you take a pound of breakfast sausage, spoonfuls of biscuit mix, and a handful of shredded cheddar cheese. You mix it all together, preferably with your hands, and then form the meaty, cheesy dough into little balls. After a few minutes of baking in the oven, they’re done.

What’s interesting about them is they don’t have the texture of a meatball nor do they have the texture of a biscuit. The sausage ball occupies this strange middle ground that is known only to itself and there is really no other snack like it. If you’ve never had one, they only way to experience it is to make your own.

Now, I’m still a fan of the original recipe. Much like using Velveeta and Ro-Tel for queso, sometimes the simplest path to good eating is indeed the best. Though since it’s were about to begin the holidays and with the basic method being so malleable and open for interpretation, I’ve made a few changes that make my holiday sausage balls a little more fancy.

First, I’ve gotten rid of the biscuit mix. A few years ago I learned it’s not necessary, which was a revelation. Instead you can use the basic components of biscuit mix—flour, baking powder, and salt—and then, if you’re feeling extra wild, you can even make throw in some cornmeal, a trick I recently learned from Garden & Gun’s The Southerner’s Cookbook.

Also, you can make your own breakfast sausage. Of course, if you’re in a place with excellent country-style breakfast sausage, you may decide to skip this step. But I live in the land of links, not patties, which means I’ve been making my own breakfast sausage for years.

Because it’s the holidays, I decided to make a special-edition breakfast sausage with finely chopped cranberries and chipotle chile powder for a sweet and smoky touch. While it’s not necessary, it is very good if you’re so inclined. For the cheese, I swapped out the yellow cheddar for sharp white cheddar because I love its nutty flavor. And finally, I added a bit of fresh rosemary, as its piney notes are welcome this time of year and go well with the smoky chiles.

Of course, you can craft your sausage balls any way you like since they’re extremely flexible. Perhaps you could use Mexican chorizo instead of breakfast sausage, or you may consider using pepper Jack or smoked cheddar cheese or even throwing in some diced jalapeños. Anything goes with sausage balls, which is one of the reasons why they’re so fun.

The important thing, however, is to make them, especially if it’s been a while since they graced your table. I know you and your loved ones will be thankful to have them in your presence again. Though you should be aware that they will go fast, so you might consider doubling the batch. People are smitten over sausage balls and as such, I’ve never met anyone who can stop at only one.