Sausage and cheese balls elevenses

Oh my goodness dear readers! So much has happened since my last entry in the blog! For one thing, I've embarked on a wonderfully unexpected journey! It started with a whole feast I had to throw together for all thirteen dwarves AND a wizard that came to my home, but I'll put all those in a separate post because it was such a crazy time. On the trip out, I wasn't able to prepare my usual breakfast. I was told I was supposed to be a burglar for a quest to slay a dragon! Of course Gandalf volunteered me for the job. He volunteered my home for the meeting as well. But I digress. On the way out, I grabbed some of my sausage and cheese balls for a snack.

Sausage and Cheese balls

Recipe inspired by my grandmother's recipe and also https://www.theseasonedmom.com/sausage-balls-from-bisquick/#wprm-recipe-container-61704

Ingredients

• Dry ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2½ teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon sugar (optional, but matches Bisquick flavor)

• ¼ cup fat (butter, shortening, or oil)

• 1 pound sausage

• 4 ounces of cream cheese

• 12 ounces of cheese (the cooks in Rivendell used gruyere and swiss, but when I made it at home I used a nice sharp cheddar cheese, grated

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Spray a rimmed baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

3. Cut in the butter or shortening until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs (If using oil, just whisk it in evenly).

4. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Using a cookie scoop, shape it into 1-inch balls, squeezing sausage balls so it will hold their forms. Place on the baking sheet.

5. Bake until brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Best served warm

PS: Happy birthday JRR Tolkien