Sausage Rolls Recipe

Sausage rolls are a staple of both British and Irish food. They're so common that it is easy to forget what clever things they are: A buttery puff pastry baked to golden perfection gives a delightful flakiness and crisp texture to accompany the hearty meat filling made out of eggs, sausage, onions, and spices.

So often overlooked, this easy dish celebrates the amazing variety of British sausages and leaves room for improvisation. Add other veggies of your liking in addition to the onions or combine two or more types of sausage for the filling. Try this recipe and make it your own with the flavors and spices you'd like the most. You can make tiny canapé-sized sausage rolls or big long hunks. Sausage rolls can be served hot, warm, or cold, so they're great for all kinds of occasions.

What Is a Sausage Roll in the United States?

The British sausage roll is not well-known in the United States. A staple of U.K. food since the 1800s, its distinguishing feature is the use of ground sausage meat rather than sausage in the casing. The closest American food is pigs in a blanket, which wraps hot dogs in crescent roll dough. The U.K.'s version of pigs in a blanket skips the pastry and wraps cocktail sausage in bacon instead.

Ingredients

1½ pounds ground pork sausage
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons apple or pear chutney
2 tablepsoons finely chopped fresh sage
2 large eggs
half of an onion, grated
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 sheets store bought puff pastry, thawed, chilled
ketchup for serving

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a large bowl combine pork, fennel, parmesan, chutney, sage, 1 egg, onion, salt, and pepper.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into two 8x10-inch rectangles. Halve lengthwise to create four 4x10-inch rectangles.
4. Divide the sausage mixture into 4 equal portions and place on the bottom half of each rectangle. Form sausage mixture into a long cylindrical patty the length of the pastry strip. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of water with the remaining egg. Brush the exposed pastry edges of each rectangle with ½ of the egg wash.
5. Roll the pastry over the sausage and gently press to seal the edges.
6. Cut each roll into 3 pieces each and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, seam sides down. Brush the rolls with the remaining egg wash and cut two diagonal 1-inch slits into each.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.
8. Serve warm with ketchup for dipping or allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To freeze these sausage rolls:

Before finishing with the egg wash and cutting slits into the tops, you can opt to freeze the unbaked sausage rolls in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer, separate, and bring to room temperature. Brush with egg wash and create slits. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 400°F until golden brown.