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RITZ Sausage and Cheese Bites

Homemade meatballs are the secret to these delicious party appetizers. Make ahead and freeze the meatballs to make last minute party prep easier.

Prep time

30 min

Total time

45 min

Servings

Makes 16 servings, 3 topped crackers each.

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    Ingredients
    • 78 RITZ Crackers, divided
    • 1 lb. ground Italian sausage
    • 1 red pepper, finely chopped
    • 1 cup shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • 1/2 grated Parmesan cheese, divided
    • 2/3 cup marinara sauce
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Preparation
  • Heat oven to 350°F.
  • Cover rimmed baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.
  • Crush 30 crackers. Reserve 1/4 cup crumbs for later use. Mix remaining cracker crumbs with sausage, peppers, mozzarella, egg and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese until blended.
  • Shape into 48 (1-inch) meatballs, using about 1 Tbsp. meat mixture for each meatball.
  • Combine reserved cracker crumbs and remaining Parmesan cheese in shallow dish. Add meatballs, 1 at a time, to crumb mixture; turn to evenly coat all sides of each meatball with crumb mixture. Place on prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake 10 to 15 min. or until done (160°F.). About 5 min. before meatballs are done, heat marinara sauce.
  • Top crackers with meatballs; drizzle with marinara sauce. Sprinkle with basil.

Recipe Tips

VariationPrepare using RITZ Reduced Fat Crackers and/or Italian turkey sausage.

Make Ahead For convenience, the meatballs can be baked ahead of time. Cool, then place in single layer on baking sheet. Freeze 2 hours. Transfer meatballs to freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator. Reheat in microwave before using to prepare recipe as directed.

VariationPrepare using a yellow pepper and/or substituting chopped fresh parsley for the basil.

367410
Amount per serving Calories 180
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g
Saturated Fat 4g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 25mg
Sodium 390mg
Carbohydrate 12g
Dietary Fiber <1g
Total Sugars 2g
Added Sugars 1g
Protein 7g
Vitamin A 6% DV
Vitamin C 6% DV
Calcium 8% DV
Iron 6% DV
Potassium 2% DV
Vitamin D 2% DV

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