The 3-Ingredient Make-Ahead Breakfast My Kids Love

This recipe reimagines sausage balls (also called sausage puffs) as a protein-packed, make-ahead breakfast option instead of a party appetizer. They need just three ingredients to make, reheat beautifully, and last all week, so they’re perfect to fuel your family through busy mornings.

Plate with tasty sausage cheese balls on table — Simply Recipes / Adobe Stock

Weekday mornings are always a mad dash at my house. Between packing lunches and backpacks, there’s barely time to take a sip of coffee, let alone make a scratch breakfast. So, I rely on breakfasts I can make ahead and reheat or eat on the go. That’s how I ended up eating sausage balls for breakfast.

I know, I know—I also used to think of sausage balls as a party treat, an appetizer for holiday gatherings only. But while making them recently, I realized that these three-ingredient snacks can make a great breakfast! They are made with baking mix, sausage, and cheese, take just minutes to put together, and keep well in the fridge for up to a week.

While any sausage ball recipe can be eaten for breakfast, a few adjustments will make them even easier and more delicious.

How To Make Breakfast Sausage Balls

Pretty much all sausage ball recipes are just three ingredients—bulk sausage, grated cheese, and baking mix. I like opting for a breakfast-specific sausage for this recipe and most often reach for Jimmy Dean or Tennessee Pride. Pre-grated cheese makes this recipe go even faster.

When it comes to the baking mix for holding the cheese and sausage together, you’ve got a lot of choices. Bisquick is the classic choice for sausage balls, but you could use another pancake mix or opt for a protein-forward baking mix like Kodiak’s Power Cake Flapjack & Waffle Mix. You may find that a small amount of milk or water is needed to bring it all together, depending on which sausage and baking mix you use.

Sausage balls are really best mixed by hand—not with a spoon and bowl, but by literally getting your hands in there and working the sausage into the baking mix. Bringing the sausage to room temperature does make this step a little easier, if you’ve got the time. Once mixed, you’ll divide the dough and roll it into balls. Bite-sized sausage balls are the norm for appetizers, but I like to make bigger balls for breakfast, something akin to a lacrosse or pool ball, to make them feel more substantial.

Bake the balls until golden brown, then you can eat them right away or store them for eating later in the week. You can enjoy them cold or at room temperature, but my family loves them most when I reheat them in the air fryer (350°F for 3 to 4 minutes) while I am making my coffee or finding a lost homework sheet.

Sausage Balls on a plate with strawberries — Simply Recipes / Meghan Splawn

How To Make My 3-Ingredient Breakfast Sausage Balls

To make six to eight servings (18 large sausage balls), you’ll need:

1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
2 cups biscuit or pancake baking mix, such as Bisquick or Kodiak Cakes
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup water or milk, or as needed

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the sausage, baking mix, and grated cheese. Use your hands to mix until mostly combined. If you have some dry baking mix that won’t incorporate after a minute or so of mixing, add in the milk or water and mix again.

Form the mixture into 18 large balls (about 2 ounces each, or about the size of a lacrosse or billiard ball), placing them about an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until browned on the bottom and cooked through, 24 to 27 minutes.

Enjoy the sausage balls warm out of the oven or cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Breakfast sausage balls can be reheated in a 350°F air fryer for 3 to 4 minutes or microwaved until warm. Sausage balls will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge.