Sausage Balls (large batch)

Ingredients: 

3 lb. pork sausage (suggest 2 lb. regular and 1 lb. hot), divided

2 blocks of cream cheese, softened, divided

5 cups Bisquick or other baking mix, divided

2 1/2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese, divided (DO NOT USE BAGGED CHEESE)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine half of the sausage and half of the cream cheese. NOTE: This recipe is large. Unless you have an industrial-sized miser, you will need to separate the mixture into two roughly equal parts, as well as the rest of the ingredients.

4. After meat and cheese are thoroughly combined, add half of the Bisquick slowly, so it can be evenly incorporated. Mix until combined.

5. Add half of the shredded cheese, and mix until combined.

6. Using a spring-loaded cookie scoop, scoop mixture into roughly 1" balls and place on baking sheet, about 1" apart. Smooth out ball by rolling in hands, if necessary.

7. Repeat steps 3-6 with the other half of the ingredients.

8. Place baking sheets in refrigerator for at least 10 minutes, so that the balls get chilled. This helps keep them from spreading while baking.

9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until top is crispy. If baking in batches, be sure to replace the used parchment paper with a fresh sheet before baking the next batch.