Kosher Sausage Balls - edited

It's college basketball season again, which in my household means high cholesterol snacks and an an inverse relationship between athletic prowess and viewer sloth. These sausage balls are a great alternative for either sports fans keeping kosher or lactose intolerant sports fans.

• 4 cups (about 1 pound) kosher ground beef sausage (the sort you turn into patties, not the sort you eat on a bun)
• 3 cups cheddar flavor soy cheese
• 2 cups parve biscuit mix, ala Bisquick (which is Kosher Dairy) or 2 cups "home made Bisquick" from below.

Mix the three ingredients into a hard dough. This will take some elbow work. Do not add any water. The fat in the sausage adds more than enough moisture.

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a dark cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Cook for 12 - 15 minutes (depending on how browned you like your balls).

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Edit:

If you've been to any restaurant in the south, you've probably had this conversation.

"What're you drinking, honey?" asks the waitress

You flip to the back of the menu, searching for beverages, then give up and say, "I'll have a Coke."

"What kind?"

You blink twice, then repeat slowly, "A Coke."

The waitress shrugs. "We've got Pepsi, Sierra Mist, and Sweet Tea."

"No Coke?" You start searching the back of the menu again. The deserts all look good.

The waitress sighs heavily. "I said we've got Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Sweet Tea - oh, I forgot. We've also got Dr. Pepper."

"I'll just have a water, thanks."

By the same token, when I say "Bisquick" I mean, "whatever biscuit mix is appropriate." I know better. Bisquick is an easily recognizable name brand product, and I should remember that people reading recipes take ingredients literally.

Folks who keep Kosher could tell that recipe wasn't written correctly (thanks for the quick comment) but those who are here because they're allergic to dairy or lactose intolerant might've been in some serious trouble if they took the first version of this recipe literally.

For those who don't live close to a grocery with a good kosher food section, here's a recipe for parve biscuit mix which works just as well as good old name brand "Bisquick."

Source: Budget Cooking-Elegant Dining, The Kosher Experience by Sue Epstein Yield: makes 15 cups

• 12 cups flour
• 1/4 cup baking powder
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 pound vegetable shortening (soy "butter" works well. Olive oil does not.)

1. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. 2. Add vegetable shortening and blend together with a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips, until mixture is the same texture as coarse cornmeal. 3. Store in a dry cool place.