Sausage & Cream Cheese Bites “Donkey Balls” Recipe

These sausage and cream cheese bites have a funny name “donkey balls”. However, they are packed with flavor and will soon become not only the talk of the party, but one of the requested recipes.

Sausage and cream cheese are a classic pairing. These little balls of goodness are sure to be a hit with your guests at your next party.

Delicious Snack ~ Donkey Balls Recipe

These delicious and easy bites are the perfect appetizer for any party. They’re always a crowd favorite. Make these bite-sized snacks with your kids, they’re fun to make and eat!

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This is a fun recipe to make for gatherings. The recipe is courtesy of my daughter. She made these for the first time when camping. My husband and I were lucky enough to have her make extra and bring some over.

Game Day Snack

These scrumptious little snacks would make great Game-Day appetizers. They are easy to eat finger food. The next time you have to bring a dish to pass, these Donkey Balls would be a very nice option. Just the name alone says fun at a party. People just can’t help but snicker at the name.

These days, we all need something to make us smile and enjoy life a bit more. If you can be enjoying some delicious snacks along the way, even better.

Complimentary Sauces and Dips

I tried one plain and while it was good;, I immediately thought it would be better with a drizzle of maple syrup. That delicious photo is shown below. Wouldn’t you like to take one off the plate and have one? So yummy and satisfying.

Dipping Sauce

My husband and daughter opted for a dipping sauce. They came up with a concoction of 1/2 maple syrup and 1/2 barbecue sauce. They dipped their sausage and cream cheese appetizer in their sauce and loved it. For me, I will stick with the maple syrup.

This is one of those recipes that will lend itself to a variety of dips and sauces.

You may try our two options already mentioned. However, these may also be great with French dressing, teriyaki sauce, ketch up, or ranch dressing. If you love ranch dressing for dipping, I urge you to whip up a quick batch of this buttermilk ranch dressing. It is an amazing dipping sauce.

Simple Ingredients for this Distinctive Dish

Crescent Rolls. the kind in the refrigerator section of the grocery store is what I use. I like to keep it simple.

Cream Cheese. This can be in the blocks or in the spreadable containers. Whichever you have on hand will work just fine. It adds a delicious creaminess to the appetizer. Bring it to room temperature for easier mixing.

Breakfast Sausage. I like the Jimmy Deans Roll. They do make a spicy version that some folks have commented that they enjoy and then they call these “rattle snakes”.

Onion. Really, any kind of onion you have will work. This recipe is a no-fuss recipe. Yellow, white, sweet Vidalia will all work wonderful.

Garlic Powder. This really helps add extra flavor in the sausage and cream cheese mixture.

Sausage for Recipe

If you want to use the Jimmy Dean Sausage and cannot find it locally, you can find it here on Amazon. While this recipes calls for 16 oz. of Jimmy Dean Sausage Roll, it would be delicious with a variety of meat. Such as, regular ground pork, maple flavored pork, hamburger, or ground chicken or turkey.

However, some people have let me know that they like the spicy sausage for this recipe. If you like spice, go for it as it will not disappoint. Note: the change of meat will change the flavor of this recipe. But, I encourage you to try a variety to see what you and your family like best.

Making These Sausage & Cream Cheese Bites Ahead of Time

The great thing is that if you are hosting a party, these are great little gems to make ahead of time. I would fry the sausage mixture and mix it with the cream cheese, onion, and garlic powder – cool. Then wrap the Crescent Roll dough around the teaspoon of the sausage filling making a little ball.

Place balls on a prepared cookie sheet or another container where the bites will not be touching (otherwise, the crescent dough will stick together). Cover and refrigerate until read to bake. This can be done a day ahead.

When ready to bake and serve, just bake in a preheated oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for approximately 14 minutes until golden brown.

Bake and Serve

When ready, just pull the tray out of the refrigerator and bake. Your guests can enjoy the warm and yummy appetizers. Even better, your entire house is gonna smell delicious.

You’re in the mood for a snack. You want something that’s not too heavy and is filling but you don’t want to make anything complicated or time-consuming. Try this delicious recipe that has an interesting food name.

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Sausage & Cream Cheese Bites “Donkey Balls”

Sausage and cream cheese filled bread bites.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Bread, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: appetizer, Cream Cheese, game day, recipe, snack

Servings: 32 bites

Calories: 94kcal

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Kitchen Essentials

Glass Mixing Bowl

9 X 13 Sheet Pan

Square Plate

Serving Bowl

Sauce Bowl

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 2 Packages Crescent Rolls
• 8 Ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
• 16 Ounces Jimmy Dean Sausage 1 standard package
• 1 Mediun Onion Diced
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. In a saucepan, cook the sausage, diced onion, and garlic powder until thoroughly cooked through. Make sure to break up the sausage in small pieces while cooking.
  16 Ounces Jimmy Dean Sausage, 1 Mediun Onion, 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• Drain and cool.
• Add the cream cheese to the sausage mixture. Mix with a spoon until blended. Set aside.
  8 Ounces Cream Cheese
• Open the first container of crescent rolls. Separate the first crescent and cut in half to make two triangles.
  2 Packages Crescent Rolls
• Fill each triangle with a teaspoon of the sausage and cream cheese mixture. Then bring the sides of the crescent dough up and around the filling. Make sure to pinch together to seal. Continue adding filling to the rest of the crescents.
• Place on cookie sheet approximately 1 inch apart.
  
• Bake for 11-14 minutes or until the crescent is golden brown. No worries about the inside filling as that is already pre-cooked and safe to eat.
• Enjoy plain or with the maple syrup drizzle or some other dipping sauce.
  

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Notes

Making These Sausage & Cream Cheese Bites Ahead of Time

The great thing is that if you are hosting a party, these are great little gems to make ahead of time. I would fry the sausage and mix it with the cream cheese, onion, and garlic powder – cool. Then wrap the Crescent Roll dough around the teaspoon of the sausage filling. Place on a prepared cookie sheet or another container where the bites will not be touching (otherwise, the dough will stick together). Cover and refrigerate until read to bake. This can be done a day ahead.

When ready to bake and serve, just bake in a preheated oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for approximately 14 minutes until golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 36mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

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If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.

• Maple Sausage Cheddar Biscuits
• Maraschino Cherry Cheese Dip
• Sous Vide Boneless Pork Chops
• Knorr Spinach Dip Recipe Improved
• Easy Roasted Potatoes

patternprincess1

You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties.  She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.