My 2nd time making these as my hubby is obsessed. Doubled the recipe so I have plenty in the freezer ready to go Full recipe 👇 💬

## Method

### 1. Drain the Rotel

Drain the tomatoes and green chiles thoroughly in a fine-mesh strainer. Gently press them with the back of a spoon to remove as much excess liquid as possible.

This is important—the wetter the Rotel, the softer and harder to shape the sausage mixture will become.

### 2. Make the mixture

Preheat the oven to **375°F / 190°C** and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the sausage, softened cream cheese, drained Rotel, cheddar, baking mix, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and optional smoked paprika.

Mix with your hands or a sturdy spatula just until evenly combined.

The mixture should be soft and slightly sticky but firm enough to hold its shape. If it’s difficult to roll, refrigerate it for **15–20 minutes**.

### 3. Shape

Take about **1–1½ tablespoons** of mixture at a time and roll into balls.

Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet with a little space between each.

You should get roughly **30–36 sausage balls**.

### 4. Bake

Bake for **18–22 minutes**, until browned and completely cooked through.