Preheat oven to 475º F. Whisk together flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or using a fork until the flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in sausage, cheddar cheese, buttermilk and hot sauce until well combined. The dough will be moist and shouldn't have any visibly dry flour remaining in the mixture.
Scoop biscuit bites using a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop and place onto rimmed baking sheets. Place into the oven and bake until cooked through and lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.
Freezer instructions:
Bake as directed and allow to cool completely. Then, place into freezer safe zip top bags and place into the freezer for up to a month. To reheat, simply remove the number of biscuit bites you need and reheat in a 350º F preheated oven for about 8 to 10 minutes or heat in the microwave at 80% power for about 45 seconds.