Sausage Balls Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to refrigerate sausage balls before cooking? ›

After you have formed your balls, store them uncooked for up to 2 days in the coolest part of your refrigerator, (usually in the back, on the bottom shelf.)

Why do my sausage balls flatten out? The mixture may be too wet or not well-chilled before baking. Add a bit more baking mix or flour if it's too wet. Additionally, refrigerate the balls at least 30 minutes before baking to help them hold their shape.

To freeze cooked sausage balls: Bake the sausage balls and allow them to cool completely. Flash freeze them overnight, then transfer them to zip-top freezer bags. Wrap in foil and freeze flat for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in the oven or in the microwave.

Are leftover sausage balls supposed to be refrigerated after cooking or do you keep them at room temperature. They should be tightly covered and refrigerated.

The USDA calls food that has been left sitting at room temperature a danger zone. The danger zone is typically food that is between 40°F and 140°F. This range of temperatures actually allows bacteria to rapidly grow and make food unsafe to eat. The time scale for bacteria growth is typically two hours maximum.

You can absolutely freeze sausage cheese balls, and I highly recommend it! Simply make them to the point of shaping them into balls, but arrange them (uncooked) on a baking sheet (see photo below). Freeze for at least an hour~long enough to harden and “flash freeze” so that they won't stick together.

The most common cause of tough or dense sausage balls is overmixing. The more you stir and form the mixture, the denser it will be. Try to form them quickly and lightly, using just enough pressure to get them to hold together.

Packaged pre-shredded cheese is coated with cellulose so it won't clump together. Well, that also means your sausage balls won't stick together when formed also. Use parchment to line the pans so they don't stick.

Visible white mold spores are a mark of high-quality salami, ham, and sausages. That white, fuzzy Penicillium nalgiovense slows drying over time and preserves aroma.

The best side dishes to serve with sausage balls are sauteed mushrooms, mashed sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, cheese dip, Brussels sprouts with bacon, scrambled eggs, wedge salad, yellow rice, grilled asparagus, biscuits and gravy, roasted red peppers, tomato and mozzarella salad, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, and ...

Can you freeze sausage indefinitely? ›

Freezing keeps food safe indefinitely. Keep sausages in the freezer (0 °F or less) for one to two months for best quality.

Rewrap sausage tightly to keep air out. If sausage is moist, wipe dry before repackaging. Some people like to let Summer Sausage age unwrapped in the refrigerator. As it ages, moisture is lost, sausage gets harder, and flavor intensifies.

Preserving Sausage by Drying

The most important factor in this method is the choice of the area where the sausages will be stored. This space should be warm, but out of sunlight. The sausages are dried by hanging them with a string. If hanging is not possible, they can also be dried wrapped in newspaper.

Sausage balls can sit out while serving for up to two hours. Past that point, they should be refrigerated and reheated.

Fresh sausages are sold raw, meaning you should treat them the same as any other perishable item. Raw sausage will stay fresh in the refrigerator for one or two days and in the freezer for one or two months. At room temperature, they will last a maximum of two hours.

The Two-Hour Rule

Cooked food can only stay in the temperature danger zone for so long before it becomes unsafe to eat. Havern explains: "The maximum amount of time perishable foods can [spend] in the danger zone is two hours. At two hours, the food must be consumed, stored correctly, or thrown away.

All sausage — except dry sausage — is perishable and therefore must be kept refrigerated. The following storage times should be followed for maximum quality.