Crack Sausage Balls – cream cheese sausage balls loaded with cheddar, bacon, and ranch. Seriously the BEST sausage balls you’ll ever eat! Sausage, Bisquick, Ranch mix, cheddar cheese, bacon, and cream cheese. Can make in advance and freeze unbaked for a quick snack later. These are great for tailgating and parties! #sausageballs #bacon #ranch #freezermeal #tailgating #partyfood
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Pin This RecipeCream Cheese Sausage Balls with Cheddar, Bacon & Ranch
HAPPY COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON! Anyone else excited about football starting? I can’t wait to binge-watch football all weekend. We aren’t going down to the Auburn game. We are staying home (in the air conditioning) and feasting on football food. These Crack Sausage Balls are absolutely on the menu! One bite and you will know why. SO good.
These Crack Sausage Balls are inspired by my Cream Cheese Sausage Balls. My Cream Cheese Sausage Balls are seriously the BEST sausage balls EVER. I didn’t think I could ever improve upon them, BUT I did with these Crack Sausage Balls. O-M-G! The best sausage ball recipe loaded with cheddar, bacon, and ranch! YUM! I could not stop eating these yummy sausage balls! These Crack Sausage Balls are great for tailgating and parties. Heck, we’ve been known to eat these for dinner on occasion!
How to Make Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
Crack Sausage Balls are very easy to make. My secret is to mix all the ingredients in your stand mixer. I put the sausage, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, ranch mix, bacon and Bisquick in the bowl of my KitchenAid mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Just let the mixer do all the work. It will take a few minutes for everything to get incorporated. Make sure to scrape down the bowl if necessary.
Once the Crack Sausage Ball mixture is ready, roll into approximately 50 to 60 balls and bake. Be sure not to overbake the sausage balls. Cook them just until they start to brown. Overbaking the sausage balls will make them dry and hard.
Can I Freeze Sausage Balls?
YES! I almost always freeze sausage balls unbaked for a quick snack later. Roll the sausage mixture into balls and place on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the freezer. Once the sausage balls are frozen, transfer them into a freezer bag. When ready to bake, place the frozen sausage ball on the baking sheet and simply add a few minutes to the cooking time.
You can certainly freeze the sausage balls after baking, but I don’t think they taste as good as fresh out of the oven.
How to Serve Sausage Balls
These Crack Sausage Balls are great hot out of the oven or at room temperature. I have a Pyrex food carrier that has hot and cold packets. If we are traveling with the sausage balls, I heat up the hot pack to keep the sausage balls warm for the trip. You can also pack the sausage balls in a foil pan and pop them on the grill for a minute to reheat in the parking lot.
These Crack Sausage Balls are great plain, but feel free to serve them with a side of Ranch dressing. YUM! I mean, can you ever really have too much ranch? You could also whip up a batch of Crack Dip for dipping too.
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Crack Sausage Balls
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 lb breakfast sausage
- 1 (1-oz) package Ranch dressing mix
- 1 lb bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1½ cups Bisquick
- 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Mix all ingredients until well combined with an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls and bake on a baking sheet.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes.
Notes:
Steph
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I cooked the sausage first is that ok
Yes. this recipe uses uncooked sausage.
Would this work using ground beef?
I haven’t tried this with ground beef, so I do not know how it would turn out. If you try it, let us know.
Can this be made using Gluten Free Bisquick mix?
Has anyone ever added dry minced onions to sausage balls? I’m thinking that would add a great flavor.
If you like onions, then toss them in. I’m sure you will love it.
What if you don’t have a dough hook attachment
you can mix by hand
Do you cook the bacon before adding to the mixture
1 lb bacon, cooked and chopped
We are not breakfast sausage people can we use reg sausage
I don’t know what you mean by “reg sausage”
Planning a 30th birthday/graduation picnic and happened upon this recipe. I’d need to keep these warm for several hours. Can I keep them in a slow cooker or roaster on low like I do with regular meatballs? I really want to make them!
I think that would be fine. Enjoy!
Can I sub something else for cream cheese?
Can you make these balls up the night before, put in an air tight container and bake the next morning and keep warm in a crock pot?
I think that would work.
How far in advance can you make these day of?
They would be fine up to 24 hours covered in the refrigerator
Does it matter if we use Original Bisquick or the Just Add Water Bisquick?
I use original Bisquick. I am not familiar with Just Add Water Bisquick.
I just made these this morning and my husband, kids and I loved them… outstanding is what we all said. Thank you for the recipe.
Did you try them in the air fryer? How did they turn out?
Does the sausage really cook enough
Every single time
Can you sub almond flour for the bus quick to make it low carb friendly?
I’ve never made this recipe with almond flour so I can not say how it would turn out. My guess is that almond flour alone is not a substitution for Bisquick.
How many carbs?
This isn’t a low-carb recipe. Bisquick has loads of carbs
I’m thinking of Jalapeños or green chili’s instead of the parsley
sounds good!
Was it good with jalapeno?
I have added a small can of chopped green chilies. Tastes great w them.
Just made these….they are fantastic!! Thanks for the recipe…..my husband also thanks you 😉
Please help. My ranch dressing comes in .40 oz and makes 16 oz. Do I need to add anything to the envelope, or just add to recipe?
you are only using the dry mix
What if I don’t have a kitchen-aid mixer?
you can use your hands
What kind of dip can I dip them in?
Ranch? Salsa?
Do you remove sausage from the casing?
yes
Making these right now! Can’t wait to see how yummy they are!
These look delicious! Quick question… Do you cook the sausage first or mix it into the dough raw?
Do not cook the sausage first. You were going to use the sausage raw.
What is the green stuff in the cheese balls in the pictures?
dried parsley
Hi there Plain Chicken… Maybe I missed it in the recipe but I didn’t see how much dried parsley to put in the mix? Is is in the ranch mix maybe? I’m just making it today!
You didn’t miss it. There is no dried parsley in the recipe.
I might make these today – i have a friend coming to town – it'll be a fun snack for when he gets here – i might even pop them in the air fryer just to be crazy! hahaha