Sausage Meatballs

This recipe was actually simpler to make than I had envisioned. Despite the fact that I slightly overcooked them, these were the best-tasting sausage meatballs I’d ever had, even my sister thought so. Every bite brought a taste of both cheese and onions.
You could use these meatballs as side dishes, incorporate them into spaghetti, or do what I did -- stick toothpicks in and eat them like snacks.

Ingredients:
1 pound of mild Italian sausage
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup onion (finely diced)
3/4 cup plain pancake mix
1 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp powdered garlic
1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
If your sausage came in links, remove the casing. Put the meat into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and work it with your hands. Once all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated into the meat, start forming the balls. I recommend a diameter slightly smaller than a quarter but bigger than a nickel. Roll them tightly so they don’t fall apart when they’re cooking. Spray nonstick oil into a large frying pan and set it on medium-high heat. Barely sear the outside of the meatballs, then turn the pan over onto a large baking tray and spread the meatballs out so they don’t touch. Bake about 10 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
These can be frozen in a Ziploc bag.

Recipe prepared on 2011-03-25 (Tulsa, OK). Photograph by Michael Findley.