I’ve laughed a lot while writing this cookbook—and gotten very hungry! I laugh because most people consider these tasty meatballs the perfect small bite for a party or wedding reception, but I sometimes make them just to satisfy a craving! They are usually served cold, but when I make them at home, I serve them warm, right out of the oven, and they are awesome! So to answer the burning question, can you make an entire meal out of sausage ball appetizers? Yes!

　　

Ingredients

makes 50

　　1 pound spicy pork sausage

　　10 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated

　　3 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick, or self-rising flour

　　Salt and pepper

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

　　

Step 2

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sausage, cheese, and baking mix and beat on low speed until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and place them 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until browned. Drain on paper towels, and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

　　

From Beth

Step 3

Double this recipe, bake, and freeze half for use at a later time.

　　

From Trisha

Step 4

I like Jimmy Dean’s sage sausage for this recipe.

　　Reprinted with permission from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours by Trisha Yearwood with Gwen Yearwood and Beth Yearwood Bernard. Copyright © 2008 by Trisha Yearwood. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Trisha Yearwood is a three-time Grammy-award winning country music star and the author of the bestselling cookbook Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. She is married to megastar Garth Brooks.