Ah, November. Fall weather is here, and with it comes my favorite holiday: Thanksgiving. And with Thanksgiving comes the Baldwin family reunion…. A tradition that’s been in place for my dad’s side of the family since the 1930s.

When I was a kid, the best part of the family reunion was playing with my cousins. Now that I’m a grownup, the best part is the food.  catching up with the cousins, of course….

(And the food).

Three Thanksgivings ago, I hosted the Baldwin Family Reunion at the Blue House and my dad’s cousin Tom brought Jalapeno Sausage Cheese Balls, and I wigged smooth out.

Fancy, it ain’t; in fact, the usual variation of the recipe started out on the back of the Bisquick box, but those can’t begin to compare to the the way Cousin Tom made them.
You’ll need Bisquick, a pound of breakfast sausage, grated cheese (cheddar or something similar), milk (not pictured, but we all know what milk looks like, GOSH), and a jalapeno. Roses optional, if you’re lucky enough to have a hottie super bomb that brings you Tyler roses every chance he gets. Not that I’m bragging.

I know I’m weird, but I don’t like pre-grated cheese. Its the white dots. What are those white dots on pre-grated cheese, exactly?? It disturbs me so much so that I prefer buying it in a block and grating it myself.

Dump everything but the jalapeno into a bowl in no particular order, and if you’re the rugged Grizzly Adams-type woman who likes to delve off into a bowl of raw meat with your bare hands, then by all means, get in there and squish that stuff up until its well-blended and all gunked up under your fingernails.

But as for me, I’m a sissified city girl with clean fingernails and a Kitchenaid Mixer, by gosh, so I mix mine up in the mixer bowl.

What you want is this bowl of meaty, cheesy… goo. Try to resist the temptation to taste this. Its not ready yet.

Next… the jalapeno. Cut it open and rip its innards out with your Pampered Chef Corer Thingy because jalapeno seeds are NOT your friends.

Chop the pepper into perfect symmetrical geometric shapes measuring exactly 1/3″. Precision is everything. I live for precision.

(Not really).

Using a 1″ scoop, form your sausage/cheese goo into balls, and press one jalapeno sliver into the middle of each ball. You could use more, I suppose, depending on how in love you are with jalapeno, but as for me I just want an infusion of jalapeno flavor but not enough to make me cry.

 Space your sausage cheese goo-balls about 2″ apart on a cookie sheet.

While your Sausage Balls are baking, sneak a peek at your Lover Boy, if you’re lucky enough to have one, who is watching tv on your couch. Not that I’m bragging.

When the timer goes off and you take these cheesy, sausage-y bites out of the oven, be ready. They’re so delicious that they cause some people do the Funky White Boy dance, and I cannot be held responsible.

Oh yes. Melty, cheesy sausage-biscuit-rolled-into-bite-sized-deliciousness. You gotta try these.

Jalapeno Sausage Cheese Balls Recipe

• One pound pork breakfast sausage
• 3/4 cup grated cheese
• 1 1/2 cups Bisquick
• 1/4 cup milk
• one fresh jalapeno, chopped

Combine first four ingredients. Form into 1″ balls. Insert one jalapeno piece into the center of each ball. Place balls 2″ apart on a cookie sheet and bake at 325* for 25 minutes.