What a great time when you’re a 20- or-30-something and you get together with work buddies or college buddies or any buddies for a Thanksgiving potluck. Chances are your people are from different places with different traditions and favorite recipes for stuffing, sides, or desserts. Everyone pitches in. Hats off to my friend Dave and his sausage balls.
Here’s a favorite from a Friendsgiving long ago and far away. Still good as ever.
Dave’s Sausage Balls
A long-ago favorite by a friend from Tennessee, where they make great country sausage!
- mixing bowl
- medium scoop (2 tablespoons)
- sheet pan
- digital thermometer
- 1 lb breakfast sausage
- ½ lb sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups Bisquick® baking mix
Preheat oven to 325°
In a large bowl, combine sausage, cheese, and baking mix
Using a medium (1") scoop, measure out 32 equally sized sausage balls and place on two sheet pans, or one pan twice.
Bake for 25 minutes. Check temp and make sure the center of the sausage balls register at least 165°.
Set balls aside to cool, 15 minutes. These are best on the first day, but will keep 2-3 days in the fridge, or freeze, but not for too long!
His name was Dave. He was my friend in the Army in the 1970s. He was from Tennessee. Big time Volunteer fan. We had a Friendsgiving before that was a thing (1974?) and everyone brought or made something. While recipes for these simple, tasty sausage balls are widely available, especially as a holiday treat, it was years before I dug deep and remembered Dave’s simple formula: Bisquick, sausage, cheddar — that’s it. Hard to eat only a dozen.
Guy Cicero 
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