Rotel Cream Cheese Sausage Balls (Party Size!)
These Rotel Cream Cheese Sausage Balls are party size: one batch makes 30 hearty sausage balls instead of 60 tiny ones. 5 ingredients, 30 minutes, and they’re still a hit once they cool to room temperature!
Why My Rotel Sausage Balls Are Bigger Than Everyone Else’s
After making these Rotel Cream Cheese Sausage Balls for holiday parties a few years running, I’ve gotten them down to a science. While other recipes call for making this same recipe and turning them into 50-60 sausage balls, we double the size and turn our recipe into a dish that serves 30 meatballs.
When you’re feeding a crowd, you want something hearty that your guests can use as the anchor to their appetizer plate. Instead of making them put 3-4 tiny meatballs on their napkin, we are going to give them a bigger serving that gives them 2-3 bites in one. It keeps your guests satisfied, PLUS it means halving your workload of rolling sausage balls 😉
In addition to needing to roll fewer sausage balls, this recipe also is the least time-intensive sausage ball recipe on my website. My Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls are delicious but they require brushing the final product with butter, adding to your workload! This Rotel recipe doesn’t, and it’s the version I’ll pull out when I want a crowd-pleaser that doesn’t take a lot of work.
If you’re making these for game day, make sure to serve these buffalo chicken pinwheels as another appetizer, football cookies for dessert and this white bean chicken chili for dinner.
Ingredients for Rotel Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Cream Cheese: Allow it to soften to room temperature. I don’t recommend using reduced fat. You need all the fat to help hold the balls together.
- Ground Sausage: You can choose any ground sausage you like. I used mild sausage but I’ve seen this made with spicy as well. You can also use chicken or turkey sausage. Buy another pack and use it to make this Sausage Cheese Dip, too!
- Bisquick: This acts like the breadcrumbs from a normal meatball recipe to hold the meat together but Bisquick adds a fluffier texture than breadcrumbs does.
- Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies: You could use a generic brand, but Rotel has the best flavor and just a hint of spice. Be sure and drain the can really well.
- Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend: You could easily substitute cheddar cheese, colby jack or pepper jack cheese as necessary.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Use an electric hand mixer to mix the cream cheese until it softens.
Step 2: Then add the sausage, bisquick, and drained Rotel. Mix until fully combined.
Step 3: Add the shredded Mexican blend cheese to the mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
Step 4: Scoop the sausage mixture into 2 tablespoon portions and roll into equal balls. Place the balls on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Step 5: Bake the sausage balls in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
EXPERT tips
- It’s very important to drain the can of Rotel well so you don’t get too much moisture in your mixture. Try dumping your tomatoes and green chilies into a colander and let it sit for a minute or two to drain as much as possible.
- These Rotel Cream Cheese Sausage Balls are not too spicy but if you want more spice feel free to use spicy sausage and even a dash of hot sauce or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to turn up the heat.
- Don’t overmix. This is important any time you are making meatballs. Mixing too much will cause the fat in your meat to break down and make the balls tough. Mix until just combined.
- I recommend using a cookie dough scooper to scoop your balls. This helps ensure you don’t overwork the dough and gives you consistent-sized balls.
Serving to a crowd
If you’re making these for a party, don’t be stressed about leaving them out on the appetizer table even after they cool down. After serving these at plenty of parties, I can confidently say that they are just as well-loved once they get to room temperature.
I would recommend having toothpicks on the side that people can easily grab a sausage ball or two without touching the others.
Our favorite dipping sauce to have on the side is sriracha mayo, which adds a mildly spicy kick. Ranch or a creamy cilantro sauce could also be great choices!
Recipe FAQs
Your sausage balls may dry out if there is too much Bisquick in the mixture. You can try adding a splash of milk to save the mixture, but next time reduce the amount of Bisquick you use. The recipe should not turn out dry as is.
It is important not to overcook or undercook these Rotel Cream Cheese Sausage Balls. They are usually done when they are slightly browned on the outside. The internal temperature should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can honestly enjoy these hot or cold but I prefer them warm. They have plenty of flavor to be enjoyed all by themselves but it’s fun to offer a few different dipping sauces.
The flavor of these sausage balls could honestly be enjoyed as a snack, appetizer or side for breakfast or brunch. We ate leftovers for dinner with instant pot mashed potatoes and broccoli.
Did you enjoy this Rotel Cream Cheese Sausage Ball Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
If you tried this Rotel Cream Cheese Sausage Balls Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Rotel Cream Cheese Sausage Balls (Party Size!)
Equipment
- Electric Hand Mixer This isn’t necessary but it makes it very easy to mix up the meat mixture
- Parchment Paper Not required, but will keep your sausage balls from burning on the bottom. You can also use a silicone baking sheet.
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1 ½ cups Bisquick
- 10 oz Original Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, drained
- 2 cups Mexican blend cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, use an electric hand mixer to mix 8 oz cream cheese until it softens. Then add 1 lb ground sausage, 1 ½ cups Bisquick, and drained 10 oz Original Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies until fully combined.
- Add the 2 cups Mexican blend cheese to the mixture and use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix until fully incorporated.
- Portion the sausage mixture into 2 tablespoon portions and roll into equal balls.
- Place the balls on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and put in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Ground Sausage: Try using spicy sausage if you want an extra kick.
- Storage: Store any leftover sausage balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Heat them up in the oven or air fryer to enjoy again later (Air Fryer: 350 degrees for about 3-6 minutes, or until warmed through).
- Freezing: Place the leftover sausage balls on a baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes to allow the balls to quickly freeze, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze them for up to three months. You can also freeze the balls prior to baking if you prefer to bake them just before serving.
