Irresistible Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls

Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls are the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer that brings all the buttery, garlicky goodness of Red Lobster’s famous biscuits into bite-sized perfection! These little golden treasures combine savory sausage, creamy cheese, and that signature Cheddar Bay flavor that’ll have your guests asking for the recipe before they’ve even finished their first bite.

Love More Sausage Recipes? Try My Bisquick Sausage Balls or this Rotel Sausage Balls next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

They capture everything we adore about Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay biscuits – that irresistible garlic-herb flavor, the melty cheddar goodness, and that perfect tender-crispy texture – but in a fun, poppable form that’s perfect for any gathering. Plus, they’re easy to make with just a handful of ingredients, and I promise you there will be no leftovers!

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Ingredient List

Main Stuff You Need:

• 1 lb ground sausage (mild or hot – depends how brave you’re feeling)
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened (half a brick)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 box Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuit mix (12 oz – don’t throw away that seasoning packet!)
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

If you can’t find the Red Lobster mix:

• 2 cups Bisquick
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Why These Ingredients Work

The ground sausage brings all that savory goodness, but here’s where I learned something the hard way – don’t cheap out on it. I tried the bargain brand once and they turned out greasy and flavorless. The cream cheese was my sister’s suggestion after I complained mine kept coming out dry, and wow, what a difference! It keeps everything moist without making it heavy.

That Red Lobster mix though? Pure genius in a box. I spent months trying to recreate those flavors from scratch until my neighbor told me about this shortcut. The smoked paprika isn’t traditional, but I add it because my husband loves that little smoky kick.

Essential Tools and Equipment

You don’t need anything fancy:

• Big mixing bowl
• Cookie sheet
• Parchment paper (seriously, just use it)
• Something to scoop with – spoon, cookie scoop, whatever

How To Make Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls

Step 1: Prep Your Oven and Pan

Heat your oven to 400°F and line that baking sheet with parchment. I learned this lesson after scraping burnt cheese off my pan for an hour – just use the parchment paper!

Step 2: Mix Everything Together

Dump the sausage, cream cheese, cheddar, that whole biscuit mix package (seasoning packet and all!), and smoked paprika into your biggest bowl. I use my hands because it’s faster and you can feel when everything’s combined properly. The mixture looks weird at first – don’t panic, that’s normal.

Step 3: Shape Those Beautiful Balls

Roll them about ping pong ball size – I eyeball it, but if you’re a perfectionist, use a small cookie scoop. My kids love helping with this part, though their “balls” look more like abstract art. Space them out on your pan because they puff up a bit.

Step 4: Bake to Golden Perfection

Fifteen to eighteen minutes usually does it, but every oven’s different. Mine runs hot, so I check at 14 minutes. They’re done when they look golden and don’t jiggle when you shake the pan.

Step 5: Final Touch

Sometimes there’s grease pooling around them – totally depends on your sausage brand. Just blot them with paper towels before serving. No big deal.

You Must Know

Never cook the sausage first! I made this mistake my first time and they turned into hockey pucks. The raw sausage cooks perfectly inside the balls and keeps them tender.

Personal Secret: I set my cream cheese on the counter when I start my morning coffee. By the time I’m ready to cook, it’s perfectly soft. Microwaving works too, but sometimes it gets weird and lumpy on me.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

My cookie scoop was life-changing for this recipe – no more messy hands and they all cook evenly. If your first batch spreads too much, stick the bowl in the fridge for thirty minutes before making the rest.

I always have everything measured out before I start because this mixture gets sticky fast. Don’t overmix it either – just until it holds together. My mom always overmixed everything and wondered why her food was tough.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Hot sausage kicks these up a notch if you like heat. My father-in-law adds jalapeños from his garden, and honestly, they’re incredible. I’ve tried mixing cheddar with pepper jack – gives them this amazing creamy-spicy combo.

For breakfast parties, I use breakfast sausage and serve them with maple syrup. Sounds weird, tastes amazing. My sister always adds fresh chives because she’s fancy like that.

Make-Ahead Options

These freeze beautifully! I make double batches now because they disappear so fast. Roll them up, freeze on a cookie sheet, then toss in freezer bags. They keep for months and bake straight from frozen – just add five extra minutes.

You can also mix everything up the night before and just roll and bake the next day. Perfect for those crazy holiday mornings when you’re already juggling twelve other dishes.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

That Red Lobster mix is what makes these special – I’ve tried copying it with regular Bisquick and about ten different seasonings, but it’s just not the same. Stock up when you see it on sale because once you make these, you’ll want to make them again.

Don’t stress about perfect round balls. Mine look like tiny meteorites half the time, and nobody cares when they taste this good.

Serving Suggestions

These work for everything – game day, Christmas morning, random Tuesday when you need comfort food. I keep ranch and honey mustard on hand because people always want something to dip them in, though honestly they’re perfect plain.

My neighbor brings BBQ sauce every time she comes over now because she knows I’m making these. Spicy ketchup works too if you’re feeling fancy.

These have become my signature dish at every gathering, and honestly, I’m not mad about it. There’s something special about watching people light up after that first bite – especially when they realize they can’t stop eating them!

How to Store Your Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls

Counter: They’re fine sitting out for a couple hours during a party Fridge: Keep them covered, they’ll last about five days Freezer: Cooked ones freeze fine for a couple months Reheating: Stick them back in the oven at 350°F for maybe eight minutes. Microwave makes them weird and rubbery.

Allergy Information

These have dairy and gluten, obviously. If you’re dealing with allergies, you can try dairy-free cream cheese and vegan shredded cheese, but I haven’t tested it so can’t promise they’ll turn out right. Same with gluten-free biscuit mix – might work, might not.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use turkey sausage instead of pork sausage?

Yeah, but they won’t taste as rich. Turkey sausage is pretty bland compared to pork. If that’s what you’ve got, maybe add extra seasoning.

My mixture seems too wet – what should I do?

Add more biscuit mix bit by bit until it feels right. Some sausage brands are just wetter than others. I’ve had this happen – it’s annoying but fixable.

Can I make these smaller for a party?

Sure. Make them bite-sized and watch them closer – maybe twelve minutes instead of fifteen. They cook faster when they’re little.

Why did my sausage balls fall apart?

Your cream cheese wasn’t soft enough or you didn’t mix it well. Cold cream cheese won’t blend right and leaves lumps that make everything crumbly. Next time leave it out longer.

💬 Made these? Tell me how they turned out! Drop a comment below – I actually read every single one.