Keeping Sausage Balls Warm in a Crockpot – The Perfect Party Appetizer Hack

Sausage balls are a delicious and addictive party appetizer. Their savory sausage cheese and biscuit flavor combo is hard to beat. But keeping these tasty morsels warm for serve-yourself snacking can be tricky. Rather than reheating in the oven repeatedly, the solution is simple – use your crockpot!

Crockpots are the perfect way to keep sausage balls hot and ready to eat for hours. No more cold rubbery sausage balls or constant reheating. With some clever crockpot hacks you can keep sausage balls appetizingly warm all afternoon or evening.

Why Use a Crockpot for Sausage Balls?

Crockpots have features that make them ideal for keeping appetizers like sausage balls ready to serve:

• Low, consistent heat – Keeps sausage balls safely heated without overcooking
• Large capacity – Holds a big batch of sausage balls
• Warm setting – Holds temperature with minimal additional cooking
• Serve-yourself access – Guests can take what they want, when they want
• Frees up oven – No need to constantly reheat sausage balls in oven
• Portability – Can keep sausage balls warm at a potluck or party

With a few simple tips, your crockpot can become the perfect sausage ball warmer for stress-free entertaining and snacking.

Tips for Heating Sausage Balls in a Crockpot

Follow these guidelines to properly heat sausage balls using a crockpot:

• Cook sausage balls fully before placing in crockpot
• Add cooked sausage balls to crockpot liner or baking dish to contain mess
• Set crockpot to low, cover and heat 1-2 hours until heated through
• Check internal temperature with meat thermometer, aim for 160°F
• Once heated, switch crockpot to warm setting to maintain temperature
• Avoid mixing in sauces or liquids that can make balls soggy
• Stir gently every 30 minutes to redistribute heat
• Add warmed sausage balls to replenish as needed
• Provide small plates or napkins for easy serving

With a little trial and error, you’ll find the perfect timing and method for keeping your sausage balls party-ready in the crockpot.

Crockpot Sausage Ball Temperature Guide

For food safety, sausage balls must remain out of the bacteria “danger zone” between 40-140°F. Follow these crockpot guidelines:

• Cook sausage balls to internal temperature of 165°F before placing in crockpot
• Heat on low 1-2 hours until 160°F internal temperature is reached
• Maintain warm setting to keep balls above 140°F for serving
• Check temperature every hour with instant read thermometer
• Discard any sausage balls left below 140°F for over 2 hours
• Never use warm or high setting to initially reheat cold sausage balls

Monitoring the temperature ensures hot, safe-to-eat sausage balls your guests will love.

How Long Can Sausage Balls Stay in a Crockpot?

With proper temperature maintenance, cooked sausage balls can safely remain in a heated crockpot for:

• Low Setting – Up to 4 hours
• Warm Setting – Up to 5 hours

To keep sausage balls appetizing:

• Stir occasionally to maintain even heating
• Add warmed sausage balls as needed to replenish
• Discard any dried out or broken balls
• Provide serving utensils so guests aren’t handling balls directly

For food safety, discard any sausage balls left in crockpot over 5 hours.

Crockpot Sausage Ball Serving Ideas

Your warm crockpot sausage balls open up easy serving possibilities:

• Provide picks, toothpicks or serving tongs for easy grabbing
• Offer disposable small plates or napkins to make grabbing and eating neat
• Set up a sausage ball topping bar with mustards, cheeses, sauces
• Add a warming tray with mini buns to make slider sandwiches
• Pair with crackers, pickle spears, veggie crudités for a hearty appetizer
• Offer sweets like mini muffins, cookies for a savory-sweet balance

With the right accompaniments, crockpot sausage balls can anchor the perfect party spread!

Can Any Crockpot Work to Keep Sausage Balls Warm?

Any standard crockpot or slow cooker can effectively keep sausage balls warm for serving. Ideal features to look for include:

• A true warm setting is best to hold temperature
• Minimum low setting of 200°F
• Serving utensil friendly lid or openings
• Oval shape allows easy access from various angles
• Timer and temperature probe for extra monitoring

If your crockpot lacks a warming function, the low setting will work fine for maintaining heat.

Handy Crockpots for Keeping Sausage Balls Warm

Here are some top-rated crockpot models perfect for holding sausage balls or any appetizer at ideal serving temperature:

• Crock-Pot 7 Quart Manual Slow Cooker – Oval shape, warm setting
• Elite Gourmet 3.5 Quart Slow Cooker – Removable stoneware insert
• Crock-Pot 6 Quart Programmable Cook and Carry – Digital timer, locking lid
• Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 6 Quart – Transportable, clips to seal lid
• Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6.5 Quart – Precise cook settings and timer

Look for a minimum 3.5 quart size and features like warm mode, stoneware insert, and locking lid. With the right crockpot, keeping sausage balls party-ready is foolproof.

Tips for Making Sausage Balls for a Crockpot

To ensure your sausage balls hold up well in the moist crockpot environment:

• Make sure sausage balls maintain shape and don’t crumble when formed
• Use a binding agent like egg or cheese in the sausage ball recipe
• Undercook sausage balls slightly before putting them in the crockpot
• Use fully cooked sausage for food safety
• Pat sausage balls dry before placing in crockpot
• Brush crockpot with oil or use liner to prevent sticking

With a few adjustments, you can create the perfect sausage balls for holding in your crockpot.

Easy Crockpot Sausage Ball Recipes

These tasty sausage ball recipes are ideal for crockpot warming:

• Jimmy Dean Sausage Balls – Classic and easy, just 3 ingredients
• Cheesy Sausage Balls – Ooey melted cheddar cheese in each bite
• Maple Sausage Balls – Sweetened breakfast version, great with pancakes
• Ranch Sausage Balls – Zesty and addictive, made with ranch seasoning
• Sriracha Sausage Balls – Spicy kick pairs great with cooling dips

The options are endless for yummy sausage ball variations!

Make Ahead and Freeze Sausage Balls for Your Crockpot

You can make sausage balls ahead of time for convenient crockpot heating:

• Shape uncooked sausage balls up to 1 week before and refrigerate
• Cook sausage balls, let cool completely, then freeze in a single layer
• Vacuum seal cooked frozen sausage balls for longer storage
• Thaw frozen sausage balls overnight in the refrigerator
• Add thawed sausage balls to crockpot to reheat and hold

Having a stash of frozen pre-made sausage balls makes party prep and cooking even easier.

Crockpots Make Sausage Ball Entertaining Easy

From game day to holiday parties, warm sausage balls are always a hit. With the right crockpot, keeping sausage balls appetizing for crowds is simple. Just cook, add to crockpot to heat, set it and forget it. Then watch your sausage balls disappear as guests enjoy these tasty bites!