These slow cooker sausage balls can be magical.<\/span>\u00a0These sausage balls are a great alternative to traditional Italian meatballs. They also come\u00a0faster than regular meatballs. <\/em>Just brown the meatballs on a skillet and then put them in a slow cooker for about an hour. Serve as appetizers or family meals.<\/span>\u00a0It’s impossible to go wrong with these meatballs!<\/span><\/p>\n

The secret ingredient: Cheese<\/span><\/h2>\n
These sausage balls are similar to meatballs but they’re less fussy. The recipe doesn\u2019t require breadcrumbs, eggs or any other add-ins.<\/span>\u00a0It does require cheese, but only two types:\u00a0cream cheese or cheddar cheese.<\/strong>\u00a0Combine these with Italian sausage.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Do not skip the Browning Step<\/span><\/h2>\n
Although I was concerned that the meatballs might fall apart while slow cooking or browning, they held their shape well and were very stable.<\/span>\u00a0Browning helps with this. It also gives the sausage balls great flavor.<\/span><\/p>\n
You should allow enough time for the sausage balls to brown in a skillet with olive oil\u00a0before<\/em>\u00a0transferring them to a slow cooker to preserve their flavor and shape as they simmer.<\/span><\/p>\n
Get ready for stuffed sausage balls with these tips<\/span><\/h2>\n
You can make these sausage balls up to three hours before you need them.<\/span>\u00a0You can make them even further ahead of time.<\/span>\u00a0Make the sausage balls, then store them in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.<\/span><\/p>\n
In terms of flexibility with slow-cooking, I also left a batch in a slow cooker for\u00a02 hours on high and 8 hours on low<\/strong>. Both were delicious.<\/span><\/p>\n
Ideas for Sausage Balls<\/span><\/h2>\n
So.<\/span>\u00a0Many.<\/span>\u00a0Serving.<\/span>\u00a0Ideas!<\/span>\u00a0These are some of our favorite ways to serve these stuffed sausage balls.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Use them as appetizers.<\/strong>\u00a0Place some toothpicks on top of the large platter of meatballs.<\/span><\/li>\n
Make dinner from them:<\/strong>\u00a0Cook some spaghetti and then add a few tablespoons of marinara sauce to the slow cooker. After the pasta has been cooked, serve the spaghetti with sausage balls, fresh parsley, and chopped green onions.<\/span><\/li>\n
Enjoy a hearty weekend meal:<\/strong>Toss these sausage balls in a hamburger with provolone cheese to make the best meatball sub.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Storing and Reheating Stuffed Sausage balls<\/span><\/h2>\n
These sausage balls can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days.<\/span>\u00a0They can be frozen in a freezer-safe container up to 3 months.<\/span>\u00a0They can be cooked in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat with a little water or in a slow cooker on low heat.<\/span>\u00a0They will taste just as good the second day.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Easy Slow Cooker Sausage Balls<\/span><\/h2>\n
PREP TIME – 10 minutes<\/span><\/p>\n
COOK TIME – 20 minutes<\/span><\/p>\n
SLOW COOKER – 2 hours<\/span><\/p>\n
TOTAL TIME – 2 hours 30 minutes<\/span><\/p>\n
SERVINGS – 30 meatballs<\/span><\/p>\n
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Ingredients<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/header>\n
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2 pounds Italian sausage in bulk or taken from the casing<\/span><\/li>\n
4 ounces (1 Cup) grated sharp cheddar cheese<\/span><\/li>\n
8 ounces cream cheese<\/span><\/li>\n
1 teaspoon kosher Salt<\/span><\/li>\n
Olive oil, for browning<\/span><\/li>\n
3 cups marinara sauce (store-bought, homemade)<\/span><\/li>\n
Garnish with fresh parsley<\/span><\/li>\n
Pasta for serving (optional).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n
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Method<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/header>\n
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Make sausage balls<\/span>Mix together the Italian sausage, cheddar cheese and cream cheese in a large bowl. Season with kosher salt.<\/span>\u00a0Mix the mixture well with your hands so that there aren’t any large chunks of cream cheese.<\/span>\n
Make small balls from the mixture.<\/span>\u00a0Tip: It’s easier to form the balls if your hands have been wet and cold.<\/span>\u00a0You can also use a cookie scoop to make the meatballs.<\/span>\u00a0The mixture should yield approximately 30 balls.<\/span>\u00a0Place the meatballs onto a plate.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Brown the sausage balls<\/span>A small amount of oil can be added to a medium skillet on medium heat.<\/span>\u00a0You will need to add a batch of sausage balls.<\/span>\u00a0Flip the sausage balls once every two minutes to brown them.<\/span>\u00a0You don’t need to cook the sausage balls completely.<\/span>\n
Continue with the remaining sausage balls, until all are browned.<\/span>\u00a0It will likely take three batches to brown all of them.<\/span>\u00a0Once the sausage balls are cooked, transfer them to a slow cooker.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Make sausage balls<\/span>Once all the sausage balls have been browned, place them in a slow cooker. Stir in the marinara sauce gently (the sausage balls might be fragile). Cook on high heat for 2 to 4 hours or low heat up to 8 hours.<\/span>\n
For a complete meal, serve finished sausage balls with garnishes of parsley.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Remaining leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.<\/span>\u00a0Heat the sausage balls in a saucepan over low heat and add a little water.<\/span>\u00a0The sausage balls can be frozen in a freezer-safe container up to 3 months.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n