Healthy sausage balls use turkey sausage, skim milk and whole wheat flour for a lightened up version of this breakfast favorite! (They’re also great for Christmas brunch and game day eats!) 
Thank you to Rubbermaid TakeAlongs® for sponsoring this post. (ad)
Happy hump day everyone! I hope you’re having a good week so far.
M has TWO days off of kindergarten this week. Teacher work day and Veterans Day. Fortunately, my mom is around and taking her to do some fun things during the day so she doesn’t have to sit and watch me work on my deadlines for my day job as a health and nutrition editor. Nanna to the rescue!
I’m also hoping my mom and I can finalize our Thanksgiving menu (I’ll be consulting my round-up of 45 Thanksgiving sides for sure) and I’m trying to find some extra time this week to do some last bits of yard work before the winter weather arrives.
Just need a few more hours in the day 😉 I’m sure you feel me on that one!
Now let’s talk about these healthy sausage balls.
They are pretty much the ultimate breakfast and brunch party bite, especially at the holidays. You’ve got a cheddar cheese-loaded biscuit that’s studded with chunks of turkey sausage for a meaty, cheesy, biscuit ball that is seriously addictive.
You won’t need to call everyone over when these babies come out of the oven, either. They smell so good that your friends and family will be hovering nearby, eagerly awaiting the chance to scoop one up.
Though somehow, when we have people over, everyone always ends up hanging out in the kitchen anyway. Closer to the food maybe. And the drinks 😉
But gathering loved ones together and sharing some of our favorite eats while we get to chat and catch up? That’s what the holidays are all about for me. It doesn’t get better than that!
And we’ve already got lots of parties to go to on the calendar. So if you’re like me and often heading to a friend’s house for a get together, these sausage biscuit bites travel well. And travel in a little holiday style with Rubbermaid TakeAlongs® containers. I love the little tag line: Take Your Traditions To-Go. Yes!
I’m always carrying appetizers and cookies and whatnot to friends and neighbors at the holidays — from potlucks and tailgating to Thanksgiving and Christmas parties — so these travel totes will be put to good use. Especially because they can hold so much! They’re also durable, BPA-free and safe for the microwave, dishwasher and freezer.
These limited-time only holiday TakeAlongs come in red and green, can be stacked on each other for carrying or inside each other for storing. And since you get two, you can always leave one with your friend as a little thank-you hostess gift. 😊
You can find these Rubbermaid holiday containers at your local Target store or on the Target website.
A few notes on making these healthy sausage balls:
- You can substitute regular all-purpose flour if you like.
- I prefer hot Italian turkey sausage, but mild is great for a group setting if you’re not sure everyone wants it spicy. You can also substitute regular sausage, just be sure to drain any extra fat after it’s cooked.
- The sausage for these balls needs to be cooked. To do that, add your raw sausage to a large skillet over medium heat and cook for about 8 minutes, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks so it’s in small crumbles.
- These are best warm from the oven, but they’re still delicious as they cool down, so it’s perfect for leaving out at a party.
- If you’re making these ahead to take to a friend’s house in your cute Rubbermaid containers, bake them for just 12 minutes and then pack them up. When you arrive, place them on a baking sheet lined with foil and cover the tops with foil, so they’re all wrapped up. Rewarm them in the oven on low — about 250 degrees – for 10 minutes or so and then serve.
- If you have any leftovers, these healthy sausage balls freeze great! Just defrost in the refrigerator and warm up in the microwave.
Cheers to the holiday season and to making new memories and new traditions with friends and family.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Healthy sausage biscuit balls
A lightened up version of the favorite breakfast or game day snack!
Ingredients
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut in small cubes
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
- 1 lb. Italian turkey sausage (hot or mild), cooked and crumbled
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat, for easy clean-up.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
Add the butter and use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour mixture, until it resembles small peas.
Add milk and stir just until combined.
Add the cheese and sausage and mix well. The batter will be dense, so use your hands if you need to.
Roll the mixture into small balls - about 1 inch in diameter - and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.
Recipe Notes
- cold and cut in small cubes
- cooked and crumbled
Recipe Notes
You can substitute regular all-purpose flour if you like.
I prefer hot Italian turkey sausage, but mild is great for a group setting. You can also substitute regular sausage, just be sure to drain any extra fat after it’s cooked.
The sausage for these balls needs to be cooked. To do that, add your raw sausage to a large skillet over medium heat and cook for about 8 minutes, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks so it’s in small crumbles.
If you have any leftovers, they freeze great! Just defrost in the refrigerator and warm up in the microwave.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving Size | |
| Amount Per Serving | As Served |
| Calories 98kcal Calories from fat 51 | |
| % Daily Value | |
| Total Fat 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat 3g | 15% |
| Transfat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 23mg | 8% |
| Sodium 189mg | 8% |
| Carbohydrate 6g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% |
| Sugars 0g | |
| Protein 6g | |
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:
| Calories | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | Less than | 65g |
| Sat Fat | Less than | 25g |
| Cholesterol | Less than | 300mg |
| Sodium | Less than | 2,400mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300g | |
| Dietary Fiber | 25g | |
Lol, YES I feel you on needing a few more hours in the day.. but as long as those few hours don’t go towards the work day! 😉 Sausage balls bring me waaaay back!! My grams use to always have them at holidays!! So I am loooving that you health-ified them!! Now I can actually eat my weight in these babies and not feel so guilty! Wahoooooo! These would be great for Thanksgiving! Cheers girlie, and good luck finalizing your menu! <3
They are a throwback recipe, aren’t they?! And yes, now you can stuff your face with them! Cheers girl! XO
These look just like a brunch appetizer that I saw on the menu this past weekend! Yum!
They are SO good, you gotta try them!
I’ve never seen such a recipe before, intriguing… I would love to try these balls, they definitely look good. And good to have Nannas, isn’t it?
Nannas are the BEST! 😉 And you’ve got to try these Adina – so easy and such a fun breakfast food!
Wouldn’t an extra few hours in the run of a day be awesome? Yes, please!! I feel like I’m always rushing around and there’s never quite enough time to do everything. I would definitely have time to eat these though 😉 They’re so little so I wouldn’t feel too bad eating a few of them….hehehe 😀 I could totally see myself having this for brunch on Saturday with a poached egg and coffee! Have a wonderful weekend! xoxo
Yes, exactly! There’s always one more thing to get done… usually four more things… 😉 And yes, I’m loving your Saturday morning plan! XO
These look so yummy and a perfect app to keep in the freezer for any unexpected guest visits!
Absolutely! You’ll always be ready for company!
To freeze….would you cook or leave uncooked?
Hi Dana! I’ve frozen them already cooked before then just pull them out and reheat one or two in the microwave for a quick breakfast. You could try freezing them uncooked, too – I’d just roll into balls, freeze the balls on a tray then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container to store. Thaw (ideally overnight in the refrigerator) and possibly add a few minutes to the baking time. Hope you try them!
Wow, these look crazy delicious! I finally found a turkey sausage I really like, so I’m excited to try this out sometime when I’m cooking for a crowd. And yes…I definitely feel you on the needing a few more hours in the day business!
Right? Couldn’t we all?! I hope you do give these a try next time you’ve got a brunch crowd coming over! Have a wonderful weekend!
What kind of dipping sauce would go well with these? I’m guessing marinara because of the Italian sausage. Do you think that would work? My son loves to dip- I think he’d love these!!
Thanks so much
I haven’t tried these with a dipping sauce, but you could definitely give marinara a go. Maybe even mustard!
I’m not sure what happened but I made these last night and followed the recipe to a T but my mix came out soupy. I didn’t over stir and I used cold butter and I triple checked my recipe and I didn’t miss anything. Have you heard of this happening before?
I have not! My batter is always really thick and dense – nowhere near soupy! I can’t think of what would have happened if you had the measurements correct.
Mine is soupy too. Is this really supposed to have 1 1/2 cups of milk?
Kate and Kim — Oh my goodness, I am SO SO sorry! I had entered it wrong in the recipe box. It should be 1/2 cup of milk (not 1 1/2 cups). I’ve changed it in the recipe card so it’s correct now, but I’m so sorry it was messed up for you. Hope you try it again – these are really, really good! XO, Kathryn
Thank you! I added some self-rising flour and they turned out light and fluffy! Delicious! I will decrease that next time!
You must be reading my mind!! I have sausage balls on my list for Thanksgiving week and your blog just popped up on Pinterest. My standby is made with pork sausage and Bisquick. This will be just as (if not better!) and healthier for the entire family. Thank you!
Haha, that’s awesome Katie! 😊 These are definitely perfect for Thanksgiving week, with guests and family and friends over. I hope you try them! And hope you have a happy holiday!
Do you think these will work without the cheese?
Hi Amy! I’ve never made them that way and it would certainly take away some of the flavor, but yes, I think you should be able to make it work without cheese. I’d love to hear if you try it!
They were great! My milk allergic daughter loved them. I made them with breakfast sausage and dairy free margarine. So good. Thanks for the yummy recipe!!
Yay, I’m so happy to hear that! My daughter had a cow’s milk allergy until she outgrew it at age 4. I’m sure you already know the ins and outs but here’s my post about how we handled it for her if you’re interested: http://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/milk-allergy-in-toddlers-and-young-children/ Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving!
Hello there!
I am really excited to make these for a ladies brunch I am hosting, but I am trying to as much prep before hand so I actually enjoy time with my friends. Could I make the dough and keep it in the fridge over night? Would be in there for about 12-4 hours.
Thanks!!
Hi Katie! Yes, you can definitely prep these ahead. Just take the dough out of the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before you bake them so it comes up to room temperature a bit. Hope you enjoy them!