Why are ball-shaped things so delicious?
Um, let me rephrase that.
Why are spherical treats so delicious?
Better.
I mean think about it. Meatballs. Scrumptious. Cake pops. Tasty. Scoops of ice cream. Divine. Cherries. Lovely.
One of my favorite balls spheres are those made of sausage and cheese.
You know what I’m talking about, right? Well if you’re from the south, you are probably familiar with sausage balls. They’re practically a party and holiday staple in every southern girl’s kitchen. And with good reason. They are DELICIOUS.
Ground Italian sausage was on sale at my local market a few weeks ago, and as it sat in my freezer I thought and thought and thought and thought about what I should do with the pound I purchased.
And out of the blue, just like *that*, sausage balls came to mind. Of course, being grain-free, I needed to play around with some options for the traditional “Bisquick” these typically call for. I must say, for my first trial run, these turned out AWESOME, and I don’t think I’ll be making any changes to the balls anytime soon.
Cheesy Sausage Balls makes 40-50
These little spheres of heaven should make an appearance at every party or potluck you attend for the rest of eternity. If you’re gluten free (instead of grain free), feel free to sub the 2 flours for 1 cup of gluten free baking mix.
1lb ground uncooked Italian sausage (I used mild)
2 cups ground almonds (almond flour)
1/2 cup arrowroot flour (Whole Foods carries it)
1/2 cup tapioca, quinoa or garbanzo bean flour (I used garbanzo bean)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled
1/2 cup shaved asiago cheese
1 cup shaved cheddar cheese
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 egg
almond milk (optional- only use if your mixture is too dry- just a tbsp. at a time)
1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. Combine all ingredients, except for the almond milk, in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix to combine all of the ingredients. The consistency should be “sticky”, like drop biscuit dough. If it’s dry and crumbly, add a bit of almond milk (tbsp at a time) until it becomes sticky (but not “wet”). If you add too much milk, you can add more of either of the flours to absorb the extra liquid.
3. Using a melon baller or spoon, drop rounded spoonfuls of the mixture onto a very lightly greased baking sheet. You can pack them close together, as these don’t spread at all.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature!
