Question re: Sausage Cheese Balls

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

I bought the ingredients to make the sausage/cheese balls that you bake made with Bisquik, sausage and cheese and a few othe ingredients. But the recipe calls for mixing the meat in raw, I would feel more comfortable browning my meat first. Can anyone here offer some advice on this please......

Thanks, Cathy

[Mama Mangia]

Of course - bake until DONE! I've seen that recipe and it is a good one - soem say bake 15 minutes - NOT - bake until DONE!

Enjoy!

Here's another I like -

16 skinless sausages or sausage meat
Pie crust or puff pastry

Fry sausages slowly to remove fat and also to cook. Drain well and cool. This can be done a day ahead. Sausage meat can be used by forming into sausage-shaped rolls with hands dipped in cold water to help keep from sticking. Fry as for sausages. Cool thoroughly. Roll out pastry on floured surface. Lay a sausage on outer edge. Trim edge even. Cut strip the width of sausage. Roll sausage up in pastry, allow extra for over lap, and cut pastry. Dampen overlap to seal. Cut wrapped sausage in half and place in baking tray, sealed side down. Repeat with remaining sausages. When cut in half you have a 2 bite-size piece. They may be left whole if a larger snack is desired. Place on ungreased baking tray. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until browned. Cool. Store in container in refrigerator. Makes 32. To Serve: Arrange on baking tray. Heat in 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes until hot. May be heated in microwave although crust won't be quite as crisp.

[The Ironic Chef]

When I make sausage bread Cathy I always cook the filling first. I don't think you would have to with the sausage cheese balls though because they aren't as thick or in layers. Looking in my recipe files I see that the sausage cheese balls should bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. A meatball at 375 takes about that amount of time if your not wanting a good crust on it. I don't think you should have to brown the sausage first but don 't see any reason why you can't either. Try some both ways and tell us how they turn out.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

My sister makes these, Cathy. And truthfully, though I don't know the exact recipe or cooking time she uses- they ARE yummy and I've never seen any that appear under-done or otherwise questionable. My sis is the type that would seldom have the confidence to alter ingredients or adjust the procedures at all- so I'm guessing she just follows the exact directions in whatever recipe she uses... I understand you questioning the use of raw sausage, but try it- and just think of it in terms of a meatball or a mini meatloaf, which of course uses raw meat... see what happens!

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Hey ya' all THANKS for the input! I have them in the oven now, your suggestions put my mind to ease and so I made them like the recipe called for! Don't want to compromise flavor Although I think browning and draining the sausage would cut down in fat grams a whole lot!!! They smell excellent, I used a pinch of cayene pepper too!

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

They turned out great! Next time I am going to precook the sausage! Gotta' do as IC suggested and try it both ways

[Mama Mangia]

or to have less fat - bake on a rack in your baking pan so that they are not cooking in the fat

[The Ironic Chef]

I know what you mean by the fat grams Cathy. Most baking mixes like Bisquik have a lot of fat in them already and then the pastry absorbs the fat from the sausage. That fat from the sausage just has so much flavor though.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

I know what you mean by the fat grams .... That fat from the sausage just has so much flavor though.

Yes as our dear friend Emeril Lagasse insists "PORK FAT RULES" I am so sure my heart would would appreciate me ingesting less rather than more though

[mrsjimmyp]

Love sausage balls...And I have made them for years. I always mix the raw sausage in before cooking and have had no prob with getting them done enough.