RedGage

Start rolling out those balls. The holidays are here. For many, sausage balls, cheese balls and meatballs have become a holiday party food tradition.

Holiday parties and Christmas dinners are so much fun. It's a chance to try out new appetizer recipes and share family favorites that are not normally seen at the family table throughout the year. Finger foods and appetizers are especially popular on holiday buffets this time of the year.

Sausage Cheese Balls

These quick and nutritious protein packed snacks are easy and relatively cheap to make. They bake quickly and can be frozen for up to three months. Down in the South, these little mighty morsels have become a holiday staple. These can be served at parties or few a afternoon snack. They are also quite popular for Christmas Day brunch.

The most famous recipe is the Bisquick sausage cheese ball recipe, but there are many other varieties. For those that would rather stay from pork, consider using ground beef, ground turkey or chicken cooked with sage, onion and garlic. If desired, use a variety of cheeses. The traditional recipe calls for cheddar. However a mixture of colby, monterey jack and mozzarella can be used too. Most recipes call for a balance between the meat and the cheese.Some families prefer 1 part meat to 2 or 3 parts cheese. It's all a matter of personal preference. For a fun twist to a plateful of sausage balls, provide a variety of dipping sauces: honey mustard, spicy mustard, BBQ sauce, cocktail sauce, ranch dressing, ketchup and marinara sauce.

Meatballs

It the meat can be ground up, it can be made into a meatball. Over the years, chefs and cooks alike have come up with several variations on the basic ground meatball. The Italians like to add pork, Italian sausage and veal to their meatball mixture. Swedish meatballs have been a main dish on tables for generations. Those that like to spice it up have added jalapeno peppers into the mix. The health nuts usually make their meatballs from extra lean ground beef or ground turkey and there's even an oriental sweet & sour meatball recipe that sounds incredible.

Basically though, meatballs are easy and cheap to make. Don't buy the pre-made frozen ones at the grocery store unless there is just no time to cook. Find a meatball recipe that works for the family. Make several batches, bake and then freeze family size portions in freezer bags until ready to use. Meatballs can be enjoyed as snacks or appetizers. They make great sandwiches and of course they always go well with pasta.

Basic Meatball Recipe:

• 1 lb ground beef, pork, turkey, chicken, sausage or a blend of desired ground meats
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup onion finely chopped
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• salt,pepper, and season to taste depending on the flavor desired

Directions:

1. Mix ground beef with beaten egg and bread crumbs, and seasoning. Mix well
2. Add onion and ketchup until well blended.
3. Shape into 1" balls and place on a large sheet pan. Cover the pan with foil or cooking spray for easy clean up later.
4. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. Let rest and cool completely before serving or bagging for the freezer.

For a gourmet twist on traditional meatballs, roll meatball mixture around a small piece of blue cheese or a cheese cube of colby, monterey jack or mozzarella. It's a wonderful explosion of flavors in your mouth upon impact!

Olive Cheese Balls

This is a tangy, cheesy, party appetizer straight out of the Betty Crocker archives. For generations, mothers, grand-mothers and aunts have made this their tradition holiday snack. It's definitely not lo-cal, but oh it's so good. These are at their best hot and fresh out of the oven. Serve with marinara sauce. These can be made without olives too. It's an easy recipe of butter, cheese and flour shaped and formed into a dough. That dough can be rolled into balls or sticks. Shape it in to anything desired. Don't like olives? Try mushrooms in the center or a cheese cube or even a mini meatball. Again, be creative.

More Holiday Appetizer Ideas

This is the time of year when finger foods are really fun. Appetizers don't have to be extravagant and expensive. Flavor a block of cream cheese with chives. Shape it into a ball and roll that ball in chopped pecans or walnuts. Serve with a plate of crackers for a tasty party treat. That same cream cheese can be spooned into little wonton wrappers and baked or fried quickly for a light snack. Other traditional appetizer recipes include: mini quiche, pigs in a blanket and cocktail sausages and flavorful dips and sauces. There's always something new. serve a variety of these flavors and holiday treats to keep the party hopping.