Air Fryer Spicy Sausage Cheddar Balls

When I was a sophomore in college, I lived in an apartment on campus with three other girls. Although we had different majors, we would all sit in the living room and study for any quizzes or tests together. Studying can be exhausting and sometimes you need a good snack to help you power through it.

We didn't know how to cook easy, appetizing meals, so we would decide to take a break from studying and head to our dining hall. This ended up taking an hour away from our study time. It would have been much more convenient if we had known how to make a quick snack in our apartment.

I LOVE spicy foods. I also love meatballs. I decided to try a quick recipe for when you're studying with friends or hosting a group of people and need a yummy snack to munch on.

Ingredients:

• 1 roll/lb of hot jimmy dean sausage ($3.48 at Walmart)

• 1 stick (8 oz) of a stick of cream cheese ($.80 at Walmart)

• 2 cups original bisquick ($2.28 at Walmart)

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($2.38 at Walmart)

• ¼ cup milk ($1.40 for a half gallon of 2% milk at Walmart)

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and use either your hands or a hand mixer to combine.

2. Make small balls (about an inch diameter) by rolling in your hands or you can use a cookie scooper, and place in the air fryer. Leave some space between the balls or they will stick together.

3. Cook at 390 for 6-7 minutes depending on the size of the balls.

4. Repeat with any remaining sausage balls (I made about 45 with this recipe).

5. I drizzled Crystal hot sauce on the top of the sausage balls to make them a little more spicy, but this step is optional.

Prep time: about 10 minutes

Cook time: 6-7 minutes per batch

Cooking times vary depending on the size and brand of your air fryer. My boyfriend and I love our 7qt PowerXL Vortex Air Fryer from Target because the basket is big and spacious and it cooks quietly and quickly, which is great when cooking a lot of food.

These sausage balls are a simple appetizer to serve if you host a group of people! You could even make some one night, put the bowl of ingredients in the fridge covered in plastic wrap, and cook more the next day. I also recommend using less cheese (maybe ½ cup instead) than what I used in my recipe because the cheese takes away from the spiciness of the sausage.

The air fryer gives these sausage balls a delicious, crispy outside! You can serve them with any dipping sauce of your choice, too. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

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