Mini Cheesy Sausage Balls

Name: Mini Cheesy Sausage Balls
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 lb. mild Italian sausages, casings removed; 1/2 cup white onions, finely chopped; 1/3 cup roasted red peppers, well-drained and finely diced; 1/2 tbsp. Italian seasoning; 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste; 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature; 2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded; 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped; 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

Author: Francine Lizotte

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Posted on Oct 9th, 2025

by Francine Lizotte

It’s the time of the year when most of us start entertaining more often. With Canadian and American Thanksgiving 🦃 ahead of us plus the Holidays, these give us a reason to have people over. Besides the main course, we definitely have to serve our guests some hors d’oeuvres!

It can be Gougères, Mediterranean Bites, Tea Sandwiches, Grissini, Croquetas de Jamón, Antipasto Skewers, Middles East Labneh with Raincoast Crisps, Mini Elote Cups (Elote en Vaso) 🌽, Crab Stuffed Mushrooms, Pinwheels, Sardine Cups, and many more…

Among them, there’s also these Mini Cheesy Sausage Balls! So delicious, these little guys 🧆 are always a hit! They’re easy to make plus they can be prepped ahead… bonus! These bouchées can be paired with several different dipping sauces.

I use mild Italian sausages and add seasoning to them. Although there is some Italian seasoning in the sausage, I want to intensify the flavor. I also like adding red pepper flakes. If you choose to go with hot Italian sausages instead, dismiss the seasonings… it will be too much 🥵!

Another ingredient that goes in is self-rising flour. Without using any eggs, this helps to bind everything together, preventing the meatballs from falling apart. You don’t need to buy it 🛒 as you can make it from scratch. Here’s the link… Homemade Self-Rising Flour

As easy as it is to make this recipe, one important key is to have all the ingredients at room temperature especially the cream cheese and if it still stiff a little, here’s a cool trick to soften it faster… How to Soften Cream Cheese Quickly. After mixing it by hand 🖐 which is the best way to blend everything together, the mixture is covered with cling film and transferred to the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour or until needed.

Many people get grossed out when it comes to using their clean hands. If you’re that type of person then wear gloves 🧤! I’m telling you… If you try to mix it with a spoon or spatula, it will take forever to get the job done properly as you have to squeeze the ingredients so they’re nicely incorporated.

Later, when the flavors had time to mingle together, it’s time to form the Mini Cheesy Sausage Balls. I use a tablespoon-sized scoop to make them with my wet hands which prevents the mixture from sticking. Unless your children 👧👱‍♂️ or partner is helping you, this step takes a little time. You should have 40 little guys.

There are two options from this point…
Either you go ahead and continue with the recipe or simply cover them nicely with plastic wrap and transfer them to the fridge until needed. If you opt with the second option, make sure to take them out a good 30 minutes ⏰ before baking or until they get to room temperature.

After they’re shaped or get to room temperature, they’re transferred to a 425ºF preheated oven and baked for 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through cooking. Then the heat is turned on broil and they’re cooked for about 2 minutes ⏳, just enough to give them a nice color.

After being removed from the heat, without waiting, place the meatballs on a large plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb any excess fat. From there, they’re transferred to a serving plate with a dipping sauce 🥣 or two.

Which sauce to use, you may ask 🤔? As my husband likes to call them “stuffing in a ball” because they taste a lot like stuffing (Italian & Old Fashioned), Cranberry sauce, Honey Mustard, Zippy Ranch, or Chipotle Mayo are all great choices.

Whether you’re hosting a soirée or a dinner party, these tasty Mini Cheesy Sausage Balls are guaranteed to be a success with your guests! Besides being an easy recipe, they can be made 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳 ahead of time which is perfect when putting on an event. This fun food is a must for any occasion… Here’s another similar recipe for you to try… Korean Meatballs
Bon Appétit! 🍽

Here are more scrumptious canapés recipes for you to try… 😀
– Greek Eggplant Dip • Melitzanosalata
– Shrimp Bruschetta
– Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders
– Asian Cucumber Salmon Rolls
– Brie en Croûte
– Olive Tapenade
– Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
– Beet Hummus
– Pico de Gallo
and for even more hors d’oeuvre recipes 🍣🍢, click on this link… Recipe Category • Hors d’Oeuvres/Antipasto, Canapés/Dips

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