A Simple Thanksgiving Appetizer for Tailgates & Holiday Breakfasts
Jump to RecipeWhy Our Family Makes These Every Year
I’m not sure where or how my husband came up with this incredibly simple recipe, but it has become one of our most important holiday staples. For at least ten years, these buttery, crispy stuffing balls have made an appearance at:
- our Thanksgiving appetizer spread,
- our morning-after holiday breakfast, and
- our cold-weather college tailgates.
They’re easy, crowd-pleasing, kid-approved, slightly indulgent, and downright perfect with coffee or a Bloody Mary. Think of them as a holiday meatball… with a crunchy crust and a cranberry kick.
Even better? They scale beautifully. Whether you’re feeding just the family, tailgating with friends, or hosting the neighbors before a parade, this recipe works every single time.
Stuffing Balls with Cranberry Dipping Sauce
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6–8 as appetizer (doubles easily or triples)
Tailgate Tip: Bake at home, reheat on the Blackstone Griddle
Ingredients
Stuffing Balls
- 1 box Stove Top Turkey Stuffing
- 1 tube Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage (original, not spicy)
- 1 cup water
Cranberry Sauce
- 1 bag fresh cranberries (or frozen)
- Juice from 1 orange
- Optional: ½ minced jalapeño for heat
Instructions
🧆 Stuffing Balls
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl, combine stuffing mix, sausage, and water.
Mash together like you’re making meatballs. - Roll into bite-size balls and place on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake 20 minutes, until the bottoms form a crispy, golden crust.
🍒 Cranberry Dipping Sauce
- Add cranberries, orange juice, and jalapeño (optional) to a saucepan.
- Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally as berries break down.
- Blend with an immersion blender for a smooth sauce, or leave chunky.
- Serve warm with stuffing balls.
Stuffing Balls with Cranberry Dipping Sauce
A Simple Thanksgiving Appetizer for Tailgates & Holiday Breakfasts
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Cranberry Sauce
- Heat cranberries, juice from orange and jalapeño over medium heat in a saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low.
- Simmer for 30 minutes, until cranberries are soft.
- Remove from heat and use immersion blender to blend to smooth consistency.
Stuffing Balls
- Preheat oven 425℉
- Empty one box stuffing, one tube sausage and one cup water into large mixing bowl.
- Use hands or large spoon to mix and incorporate all ingredients, will be the consistency of meatballs.
- Once fully mixed, roll mixture into bite size balls.
- Place rolled balls onto baking sheet.
- Roast in over for 20-25 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown and crispy.