Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls

Last Updated on January 20, 2024 by Allison Lancaster

Loaded with savory sausage, creamy pimento cheese, and Red Lobster’s Biscuit mix, this delicious Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls recipe is perfect for enjoying at holiday parties, family get-togethers, during football season, or even to eat for breakfast!

These easy cheddar bay sausage balls are super simple to make and only take under 20 minutes in the oven. While I like to use my stand mixer, you can 100% use your hands to mix this recipe. This is a super fun recipe to let your kiddos join in on.

We’ve eaten them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner… really! It’s a great versatile recipe and perfect to make ahead.

Serve them at your next party with your favorite dipping sauce, like honey mustard or ranch dressing for the perfect game day appetizer recipes.

If you love this finger food recipe, be sure to try out my Easy Fried Mac and Cheese Bites, Slow Cooker Meatballs, or Oven Baked Bacon Wrapped Fried Pickles.

What is Pimento Cheese?

It’s a mayonnaise-based cheese spread with sharp cheddar cheese and pimentos. It’s absolutely delicious. I personally prefer Stan’s Pimento Cheese when I am around a store that carries it. I’ve also been known to grab a few tubs and bring them home with me on a road trip!

We like to eat it with crackers or use it as a dip for chips and veggies. I also love a pimento cheese sandwich as a late dinner or lunch.

Can I use another kind of pork sausage? 

Instead of using ground pork sausage for your pimento cheese sausage balls, you can always use turkey sausage instead. 

Keep in mind that turkey sausage is going to have less fat, so I would add a tablespoon or two of melted butter or milk to keep the sausage balls from drying out. 

If you want to add more spice to your cheesy cheddar bay sausage balls, feel free to use hot sausage instead of mild ground pork.

I’ve used Jimmy Dean’s Hot pork sausage before, it had a spicy kick, but it was good. If you can’t find a hot choice of sausage, add some red pepper flakes to your regular breakfast sausage.

Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls Tips:

• Take your sausage out of the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before you start. Softening the sausage allows you to mix it a lot easier (and come out of the package easier). 
• I like to use my stand mixer, but I have used my hands to mix these easy sausage balls up plenty of times! It’s totally up to you. 
• Try your best to roll all of these balls into the same size. You can also use a cookie scoop for uniform sizes.
• You can also spice up your cheddar bay sausage balls with jalapeños or add chipotle peppers for a little bit of smokey flavor.

Can you freeze this Sausage Cheese Balls Recipe?

You can! This is a great big-batch recipe for breakfast and as a classic appetizer. You can either freeze them before you bake them or after you bake them.

If you’re making them ahead, place the unbaked sausage balls on a large baking sheet and flash-freeze them for 1-2 hours.

Once your pimento cheese balls are completely frozen, place them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. 

You can bake these cheddar bay sausage balls frozen, just add a few minutes to the baking time. 

How can I reheat my Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls?

I don’t recommend microwaving leftover sausage balls because they may get a little rubbery. However, you can toss them in the microwave, wrapped in damp paper towels, for a few seconds.

I have found that the best way is to reheat them in the oven because it keeps them crispy. 

Easy Sausage Ball Substitutions:

• Extra Spice? Add Jalapeños!
• Extra Smoke? Add Chipotle Peppers!
• Extra Savory? Add Bacon!

3 Ingredient Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls Ingredients:

Ground Pork Sausage: I like to use mild ground sausage for my pimento cheese balls recipe, but you can also use breakfast sausage. If you want something a little spicier, try out hot ground pork instead.

Pimento Cheese: You can purchase premade pimento cheese at your local grocery store. I’ve found it in the deli area, where they keep shredded cheese. I like to use regular pimento or palmetto cheese but feel free to switch it up based on your taste preferences. Keep in mind the biscuit mix has a lot of flavors!

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix: I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love Red Lobster’s Cheddar Biscuits. I LOVE using this biscuit mix because it adds the perfect herbs and spices to your sausage mixture. They also have a gluten-free version, but I have yet to try it out. 

How to Make Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls

1. Preheat the oven. Prepare a large, rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. In a stand mixer or by hand, combine the sausage, baking mix, and cheese in a large bowl until well blended.

3. Scoop dough into 1 to 2 tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Be sure to space the sausage balls about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. You can use a cookie scoop for this part, if you’d like.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 17 minutes or until browned.

5. Remove the pimento cheese sausage balls and allow them to cool on a wire rack.

6. For best results, serve the cheddar bay sausage balls immediately.