Pork Sausage Meatballs In A Creamy Mustard Sauce

These Pork Sausage Meatballs served on a bed of orzo and smothered in a creamy mustard sauce is an easy and delicious dish that is rich and tasty with thyme and white wine flavors.

This easy meatball recipe is rich and warm, with a sauce flavored with thyme and white wine, and so simple to make when friends come over for dinner. I make the meatballs from sausages, which is such a time saver, and honestly, you'll never go back. The pork is ready minced and flavored, so all you need to do is remove the casing, and away you go. Wondering how to remove sausage casing? You literally just snip the tip off the casing and then slide the meat out of the tube. It's both gross and satisfying at the same time.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to make Pork Sausage Meatballs
• Wine pairing
• Variations and substitutions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• FAQ
• Desserts pairing ideas
• Recipe Card

This dish makes a great dinner that's ready in under 40 minutes, and it's perfect for beginner home cooks too. I like to use white wine in it, but you could also use vermouth or even sherry.

This Italian sausage meatballs recipe is wonderfully cozy to eat in colder weather or at times when you need a hug that's in food form.

I am on a bit of a comfort food streak at the moment, so if you like the sound of this pork sausage meatballs recipe, you'll probably want to take a look at this gnocchi al forno as well that I cooked up last week. And Orzo pasta is a favorite pasta shape of mine; it's so versatile. You can make so many things with it, like this delicious Chicken, lemon, and orzo soup, or use it as a base for dishes like this one. Anyway, onto the good stuff!

Ingredients

1. Sausages: You can choose any variety of pork sausages. Since they will serve as the Italian meatballs foundation, pick sausages with flavors you like. Consider alternatives like flavored sausages, morning sausages, and Italian sausages.
2. Cooking oil: For sautéing the shallots and garlic, use cooking oil with a neutral flavor, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil.
3. Shallot: Shallots give the meal a taste of mild, somewhat sweet onion. If you don't have shallots, you may use finely sliced onions in their place.
4. Garlic: A deep and fragrant taste is offered by fresh garlic cloves. For this dish, use minced or finely chopped garlic.
5. Thyme: Thyme can be added fresh or dried to give the creamy mustard sauce a herbal and earthy undertone. Before adding fresh thyme to the meal, separate the leaves from the stems.
6. Cream: (heavy cream/double cream): To make a thick, creamy sauce, heavy or double cream is used. The greater fat level gives the food a more opulent texture and flavor.
7. Dijon mustard: The sauce gets a tangy, somewhat spicy taste boost from Dijon mustard. To suit your tastes, you may change the quantity.
8. White wine: White wine gives the sauce depth and flavor. Pick a dry white wine, such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. You can add more chicken broth or stock or white grape juice instead of alcohol if you'd prefer.
9. Lemon juice: The bright and energizing acidity of freshly squeezed lemon juice counteracts the sauce's richness.
10. Chicken broth/stock: As the sauce's liquid foundation, chicken broth or stock adds savory flavor. Either handmade and pre-made broth or stock is acceptable. I prefer to buy low-sodium broth for cooking.
11. Orzo: Orzo is a little pasta that mimics big grains of barley and is fashioned like rice. It cooks rapidly and gives the food a delicious texture. Orzo is typically located in the grocery store's pasta area.
12. Salt and pepper: These typical spices are added to a meal to improve flavor. Adapt the quantities to your preferences.

See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities and full directions.

How to make Pork Sausage Meatballs

1. Dice your shallot and garlic and heat some oil over medium in a large skillet or shallow casserole dish.
2. Remove the sausages from their casing, creating two perfect meatballs from each sausage.
3. Shape the sausage meat quickly with your hands into a more round shape, then add to the dish and brown on all sides.
4. Add the shallot and fry for a few minutes before adding the garlic and half of the thyme leaves for a further minute.
5. Add the wine and chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and reduce it by half.
6. Over low heat, stir in the cream and then add the mustard.
7. Cook the orzo in a saucepan of boiling salted water over medium heat and then drain.
8. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and stir through the lemon juice.
9. Serve the flavorful meatballs on a bed of the orzo, and then drizzle over the warm creamy mustard sauce and some more fresh thyme leaves.

Hint: If the sausage meat starts to stick when you're frying these homemade meatballs, add a splash of the wine into the pan to help deglaze the cooked meatballs.

Wine pairing

You will need something with high acidity to cut through the creamy mustard sauce, so try a creamy oaked Chardonnay or a Sancerre.

Variations and substitutions

Here are a few ideas on how you can tweak this recipe to make it suit your diet or simply add your signature flavors.

1. Meat - instead of pork sausages, you could use chicken, lean ground beef, or any ground meat of your choice.
2. Rice - Serve this sausage meatball recipe with rice rather than orzo to make it gluten-free
3. Cheese - if you're pondering whether or not you could also add cheese to this, you're on my wavelength. I reckon some tangy parmesan would taste great sprinkled on top.
4. Spicy - give this dish a spicy kick by adding red pepper flakes.
5. Meatball subs - Add these pork sausage meatballs to a sub roll and top with cheese and your favorite sauce for a quick meal. 

Equipment

I made this in a shallow enameled cast-iron casserole dish, and yes it was from Le Creuset because I am unoriginal and obsessed with them. But it lasts forever and comes in pretty colors.

It's this one, in case you were after one yourself.

Storage

Store any leftover meatballs in the fridge in an airtight container and reheat gently when needed. If they are already in the sauce, they are good for 2-3 days.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

If you want your meatballs to stay crispy on the outside, take them out of the pan before making the sauce. I'm just lazy and prefer to make things with as few things to wash up as possible afterward.

FAQ

Desserts pairing ideas

Recipe Card