The Red Lobster Sausage balls are a breakfast time flavorful bite size treat, which is a blend of ranks sausage, sharp cheddar cheese and the Red lobster well known Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix. The light and fluffy, yet substantial little morsels are lovingly called the golden, tender bites because of their deep taste, tinged with the flavor of cheese and a slightly heady taste. They are amazing party appetizer, game day snack or even breakfast / savory brunch side and with their compact size they are sure to pack in that perfect hit of spice, salt and cheesy goodness into one single bite. The combination of the biscuit mix adds certain garlicky, buttery flavor to the filling, as well as soft texture of the middle interior and a little crisp texture outside once it is baked. The sausages – which can be mild or spicy pork – bring flavor and this juicy wholesomeness of richness and the cheddar cheese melts so well throughout providing gooey pockets and golden crust.
Red Lobster Sausage Balls are not your common everyday biscuit sausage balls because it uses the Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix rather than an ordinary baking mix hence they provide them with a taste twist. There is also a little splash of milk or cream cheese in some of the recipes to make them really, really moist and soft. Sausage balls are often consumed hot, either alone or dipped in various types of sauces like honey mustard, ranch or marinara to add more flavor to it. And they make excellent advance preparations, which prepares them to be a permanent choice when it comes to entertaining. Red Lobster Sausage Balls are what the blood needs off when you are planning to have a brunch, take something in a snack box or just crave something cheesy and satisfying. They are nostalgic, pleasurable and, well, they are so simple to modify in your own way, say, with jalapenos, herbs or various mixtures of cheese.
Red Lobster Sausage Ball Recipe
Ingredients:
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Pack of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix (11.36 oz approximately)
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1 lb ground breakfast sausage, (mild or hot, whichever tastes best)
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1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar.
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4 tablespoons cold butter cut into bits.
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⅓ cup (whole milk; 2% okay, but whole is best)
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Optional: 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional – to taste)
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Optional: for garnish, freshly chopped parsley
Instructions:
1. Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 375 F / 190 C and ensure that you have well preheated the oven before you start cooking and well preheated ovens ensure that the sausage balls will cook well and the bottoms will not be taken over.
2. Prepare the Biscuit Mix Base:
- Take the package of Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix and add the biscuit mix (not the packet of herbs just yet) into a large mixing bowl.
- Then whisk a little to dislodge any lumps in order that the dough may be less heavy, and evener all through.
3. Cut in the Butter:
- Then, add the cold butter in cubes to the biscuit batter.
- Cut the butter into dry mix with a pastry cutter or two forks (or your fingers), until mixture looks like coarse crumbs (essentially this is what makes the sausage balls tender and tasting good).
4. Mix in the Cheese and Sausage:
- Then, pour shredded cheddar cheese into the bowl, and mix it up lightly in order to make the cheese covered with the mixture of flour and butters.
- That way it wont lump–the cheese will be spread in miniature in every sausage ball so you wont leave any of the cheesy goodness behind.
- then break up the uncooked ground sausage in the bowl with your hands or a heavy spoon, stirring and breaking it up but not pounding it in too much.
- Excessive mixing would create a tightness of texture rather than a tender texture in the end product of the sausage ball.
5. Add Milk to Bind:
- Gently add the milk in the vicinity of the sausage/flour mix and stir gently till the dough begins to form a somewhat sticky, workable consistency.
- Your hands may be necessary, and you may have to squeeze and fold the dough together very carefully, till it should be all mixed up; again take care you do not over stir it.
6. Form the Sausage Balls:
- Divide the dough into a tablespoon or small cookie scoop and use your hands to roll the dough into a ball about 1 and 1/2-inches in diameter and pack it just loosely enough the hold its shape without being squeezed to release the moisture.
7. Organize the Baking Sheet:
- Place all the sausage balls on a large baking tray, with a distance of 1 1/2 to 2 inches between them, so that the sausage balls have some room to expand a bit during the baking process.
- line parchment paper or grease a large baking sheet
8. Cook the sausage balls:
- Put the tray in the already warmed up oven to bake in 18-22 minutes, and towards the end, observe to look at the side where the color should be a golden brown and the sausage should be completely cooked and should no longer have that pink look in the middle.
9. Optional topping of herb butter.
- Mix up separately a small bowl of the herb seasoning packet which came with the Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix and 2 tablespoons of melted butter as the sausage balls come out of the oven.
- When you place the sausages balls into the oven, brush the top of each sausage with the melted herb butter to add more flavour to them, turning them into the most buttery and herbs laden.
10. Warmly Administer and Appreciate:
- Leave the sausages balls rest a few minutes on the tray and then move them into a serving dish or a basket with some pecorino freshly chopped or grated.
- Serve them hot as a party food, as well as brunch or as a savory dish or with dips like honey mustard, ranch dressing or spicy aioli to enjoy.
Tips:
- You can prepare the sausage balls in advance, freeze them after shaping them but before cooking, store them in a bag in the freezer.
- It is very helpful on hectic days – Just put them in the oven on cooking day, an extra 3-5 minutes of baking time should cover it!