How To Freeze Sausage Balls Explained
If you are looking for a quick and easy meal, sausage balls are a great option.
Sausage balls can be made in a few different ways, but the most common way is to use ground beef and pork.
Ground meat can also be mixed with other ingredients such as seasonings like garlic powder or onion powder depending on what kind of taste you want in your sausage balls.
How To Freeze Sausage Balls
Here are some common steps to take in order to freeze sausage balls:
Cook sausage balls
Sausage balls are a popular dish that can be served as an appetizer or main course.
They are made with ground sausage, biscuit mix, and shredded cheese, and are usually served with a dipping sauce.
To make sausage balls, start by mixing together ground sausage, biscuit mix, and shredded cheese in a bowl.
Then, use your hands to form the mixture into small balls.
Next, heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the sausage balls until they are browned on all sides and cooked through.
Finally, serve the sausage balls with your favorite dipping sauce.
You can cook the sausage balls on the stovetop, in a frying pan, or even in the microwave.
Cooking on the stovetop:
- Place your sausage balls (pork and beef) in a skillet with some oil or butter. Cook until browned on all sides. This can take up to 10 minutes depending on how large you make them so keep an eye out!
Choose the sausage you want to freeze
Getting the right sausage is important. If you don’t use fresh, fully cooked sausage, the frozen balls won’t be as good as they could be.
The best type of sausage to use? Make sure it’s cooked through and then frozen until ready for use.
The fresher your meat, the better your frozen sausage balls will taste!
You can choose how many sausage balls you want to freeze.
Cut the sausage into small balls
Cut the sausage into small balls. The size of these balls should be no bigger than a golf ball, which is about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.
You will want to make sure that all of them are uniform in size so that your sausage balls won’t fall apart when you refrigerate them later on.
Bag up the sausage balls in freezer bags
You can use freezer bags, but it is best to label them with the date and contents.
Be sure to leave some room for expansion, as sausage balls can double in size while freezing.
Don’t overfill your bag: if you do this you’ll end up with a bunch of air pockets that will cause your sausage balls to deflate.
If using zip-lock bags, be careful not to tear them when removing them from the freezer after being frozen for several months!
Label bags
In order to ensure that your frozen sausage balls retain their freshness, you will want to label the bags with a permanent marker.
This can be done by simply writing on the outside of each bag with a fine-tip permanent marker.
Once you’re done labeling, place them inside an airtight container and freeze them until ready for use!
If you don’t have access to a permanent marker or don’t feel like using one, there are other options available:
- Use a label maker (or just cut out labels from paper). Because these products are designed specifically for labeling purposes and do not damage food items in any way—they’re safe! To keep things organized while freezing sausage balls, try using one of these handy tools instead.
Freeze the sausage balls
Once your sausage balls are frozen, you can put them in the freezer for up to four months.
You should defrost them before cooking them because they will be too soft if you don’t.
To freeze sausage balls:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or plastic wrap (don’t use waxed paper).
- Place the frozen sausage balls on top of the parchment-lined baking sheet so that there is room between each ball for airflow and expansion as it thaws out during reheating time!
When you want to eat the sausage balls, thaw them out and cook them.
When you want to eat the sausage balls, thaw them out and cook them. The best way to thaw sausage balls is in the refrigerator.
You can also leave them on the counter at room temperature for an hour or so before serving, but this will make your house smell like a pig’s ear bakery.
If you’re planning on eating these right away, use an alternative method: either microwave them or cook them in hot water (100 °C).
Freezing unbaked sausage balls
Make the sausage balls as directed per the recipe you want. You can choose never to bake them.
Place the sausage balls on a jelly roll pan or serving dish that can withstand freezing. The sausage balls should be put in the freezer.
Take the sausage balls out of the freezer once they have frozen solid.
The sausage balls should be stored in an airtight plastic bag or container.
Each sausage ball may be removed as required because they are separately frozen, so they won’t cling together.
The sausage balls with labels. Note the time, the items inside, and the baking directions.
The sausage balls should be frozen right away. Raw meat should never be kept at room temperature.
Freezing baked sausage balls
Make sausage balls using your preferred recipe, then bake them as directed. Bake the sausage balls on a metal pan or tempered glass dish that can withstand extreme temperature changes without shattering.
To avoid the growth of germs, swiftly cool the sausage balls. Food that has been frozen hot also boosts the freezer’s temperature, which might affect the quality of food that has previously been placed within.
Placing a hot pan inside of a bigger pan that is filled with cold water is the fastest technique to swiftly chill cooked meat dishes.
As soon as the pan is cold, add more ice as necessary.
Put the sausage balls in a freezer-safe, sealed plastic container. At the top of the container, leave a headspace of at least 1/2 inch.
The sausage balls can also be frozen in a disposable aluminum baking sheet or a baking dish.
Put at least two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the dish before slipping it into a large plastic freezer bag.
Include a date and the contents on the package’s label. The sausage balls should be frozen right away.
Learn more about 10 Tips On How To Cook Meat To Avoid Carcinogens.
How To Thaw Frozen Sausage Balls
When you’re in a pinch and need to cook up some sausage balls stat, there’s no need to panic.
You can easily thaw frozen sausage balls by following these simple steps:
- First, remove the sausage balls from their packaging and place them on a plate or in a bowl.
- Next, microwave the sausage balls for 30-60 seconds, or until thawed.
- Alternatively, you can place the sausage balls in a resealable bag and submerge them in hot water for about 10 minutes.
- Once thawed, cook the sausage balls according to your recipe or preferred method.
And that’s it! By following these simple steps, you can have thawed sausage balls ready to cook in no time.
You can also thaw using any of the following methods:
- Thaw in the microwave.
- Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Thaw in a bowl of cold water.
- Thaw under cold running water (try it!).
Precautions to Take When Freezing Sausage Balls
To make sure your sausage balls are safe to eat, it’s important to follow these guidelines:
- Do not freeze sausage balls with raw eggs in them. This can cause illness and death.
- Do not freeze sausage balls with raw meat in them. This can lead to food poisoning or other health problems when cooked later on (or even just eaten cold).
- Do not freeze sausage balls with raw vegetables in them—even if they’re just chopped up into small pieces after cooking, they could still get into the center of your frozen treat and cause an upset stomach later on!
Conclusion
Freezing sausage balls is a great way to store them in your freezer, but it’s important to do it right.
Yes! Sausage balls can be frozen uncooked for up to 4 months. Once the sausage balls are frozen, move them to a zipper-top freezer bag from their baking sheet in the freezer.
Take them out of the freezer 15 to 20 minutes before baking when you’re ready to bake them.
We’ve outlined the steps that you need to follow when freezing sausage balls so that they’ll be safe and stay good for a long time as well as how much space they take up in your freezer.
Learn more about: Does Meat Go Bad in The Freezer (What You Should Know)