Truth be told, I don’t like jalapeño’s. I’m the only one in my whole family that doesn’t care for them. It’s not the spice, it’s the flavor. However, these Sausage Balls w/Apple & Jalapeño are delish! They may have made me change my mind about that little green pepper! And you all know how much I love my sunny side up eggs, so these little balls were perfect to poke the yolk!
Odd Man Out
Back in the day, when all my kids were at home and would order pizza, they would get jalapeño’s on the pizza. Thankfully I’m not a huge pizza lover and could easily eat something else or I’d ask if we could do 1/2 without jalapeño’s. Here’s the thing – even when you do 1/2 without, the juices from that little pepper seem to make their way onto the other side! And I could tell! I really disliked the flavor and it was off putting, which may have been a good thing to help me steer clear of the pizza all together.
Enter Jalapeño’s
A handful of months ago, I posted a Jalapeño Bacon Dip that I made for my hubby and daughter but to my surprise, I liked it a lot! I think having the bacon in there helped so much and that may be the same with this Sausage Ball w/Apple & Jalapeño’s ….the combo with the apples helps me to appreciate the jalapeño flavor.
Another recipe using jalapeño’s that’s a bit newer, is the Pineapple Shrimp & Mango Salsa. It isn’t necessarily a “jalapeño recipe” but I do add the pepper to this salsa and it really lends a good flavor combo with the sweet and tanginess of the pineapples and mango. If you haven’t tried this recipe, be sure to do so. It’s perfect for summer!!
I’m glad that my palate has changed a bit and I can now enjoy foods with jalapeño’s in them. I’m not sure I’d be able to eat a pepper on its own but I’m loving the fact that I am not turned off by them anymore.
What about you?? Do you like ’em? What’s your favorite way to eat them if you are in fact #teamjalapeño??? I’d love to know! I’d also like to know if you try these Sausage Balls w/Apple & Jalapeño – let me know what you think!
- 1 lb sausage
- 1/2 cup diced apple
- 1 small jalapeño, diced (2+ tbsp)
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a bowl, combine diced apples, jalapeño and seasonings.
- Add the ground sausage to mixture using hands to eat incorporate (be careful of any cuts as jalapeños will burn!)
- Once combined, use a medium scooper (about 1 1/2 tbsp worth) and scoop out “balls” and place into a mini muffin pan. I got 18 balls out of the meat mixture.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes*.
- *To ensure there’s no grease drippings in oven, place muffin tin on top of rimmed sheet pan.
