Dirty South Sausage Balls - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs bulk pork sausage (half mild and half spicy)
1/2 lb softened cream cheese
1/4 cup snipped chives (or substitute green onions)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
1 lemon, juice of
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 lb frozen puff pastry, thawed
scallion (to garnish)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400\u00b0F
In large bowl, combine pork sausage, cream cheese, chives, cayenne, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Fold bread crumbs into meat-cheese mixture until fully combined. Roll mixture into 1-inch balls.
Wrap a 1 1/2 -inch square of puff pastry around each ball, stretching to cover. Pinch seams to seal. Place seam-side down on greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. Serve garnished with chopped or julienned scallions. Makes about 24 small balls.
To freeze: Freeze unbaked balls. Bake them (still frozen) at 375 F for about 17 to 20 minutes, or until browned.