The best part about this homemade sausage rolls recipe is the versatility. You can easily customize with your favorite flavor pairings, PLUS they can be made ahead and frozen for later too. These are perfect for holiday entertaining, as an appetizer, or as a brunch or lunch snack! I LOVE homemade sausage rolls. Especially, pork sausage rolls, as I grew up eating these in New Zealand and Australia. While there’s always a place for classic British sausage rolls, I wanted a recipe for sausage rolls with all the emphasis on convenience and time. And that’s exactly what these are! I’ve previously shared a more gourmet caramelized apple and fennel pork sausage rolls recipe that is a complete upgrade on your regular sausage rolls. But this easy version ain’t no slouch either! These ridiculously easy 3 ingredient homemade sausage rolls with puff pastry are always loved by both kids and adults alike! And they are always one of the most popular snacks and easy appetizers to prepare for parties and potlucks.
Why I love this recipe
Ingredients
Pro tips and shortcuts
Here are some shortcuts to make these delicious snacks/appetizers in a pinch!
Use store-bought puff pastry
This is a no-brainer. While homemade puff pastry is much superior in taste, store-bought puff pastry is a worthy time saver. But if you’re interested in making it at home and you’re up for a little challenge, I’ve got a delicious quick and easy homemade rough puff pastry recipe that will be PERFECT for this recipe for sausage rolls!
Use store-bought sausages
I’m not talking about processed sausages (like hot dogs) here. I’m talking the real deal, beautifully seasoned ground meat that comes in casings (fresh sausages). You can use your favorite flavor – pork sausages, chicken sausages, lamb sausages, or beef sausages. As long as they are not pre-cooked sausages, they will work for this recipe. However, keep in mind that if the sausages are crumbly when cooked normally (generally low-fat sausages can be like that), then they’ll be crumbly inside the sausage roll too. That’s another reason why pork sausages work particularly well for this recipe because they usually hold together well after cooking. If you do use pre-cooked sausages, these will be called pigs in a blanket in the US. In the UK however, a pig in a blanket is sausage wrapped in bacon. The main difference between pigs in a blanket (in North America) and sausage rolls is the sausage that you use. Pre-cooked hot dogs for pigs in a blanket, and unprocessed sausages or ground meat for sausage rolls.
Store-bought savory or sweet jam or jelly spread
I prefer to use a fruity, sweet and savory spread with some heat. But a lovely caramelized onion spread, or red pepper jelly works well for more gourmet sausage rolls too. If you’re making these pork sausage rolls for kids, or adults who don’t like it spicy, you can use a sweet spread like apricot, berry, fig or quince. Something that will complement the savory flavors of your sausage filling.
How to make sausage rolls
Once you thaw out the puff pastry, place it on a lightly floured surface. Cut it in half. Spread your favorite fruit spread on the pastry sheet. Cut and carefully peel off the casing while keeping the sausage whole. Place the sausage (without the casing) on the puff pastry sheet along one long edge (see recipe video). I typically use 1 1/2 sausages for one half of the puff pastry sheet. So, it’ll be 3 sausages for the whole puff pastry sheet to create 2 sausage roll logs. Brush the opposite long edge of the puff pastry sheet (along the length of the puff pastry) with some water, and roll up the sausage roll towards that end. Pinch the edge to seal. Turn this sausage roll “log” over so that the seam side is down. Each log can then be cut into 3 – 4 (for larger rolls), or 6 (for mini sausage rolls) equal portions with a sharp knife. At this stage, these pork sausage rolls can be frozen if you’d like to. To do so, place each sausage roll on a baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze. Once frozen, you can transfer them into air-tight containers and freeze again until needed. You will of course need to adjust the cooking time in the oven depending on whether you bake them fresh or from frozen (all information available in the recipe). When you’re ready to bake them, transfer the rolls to a prepare parchment paper-lined baking tray. Brush the tops with an egg wash, and make 2 slits on top. Bake until the puff pastry is golden brown and puffed up, and the sausage is cooked through (about 20 – 25 minutes). How long to cook sausage rolls will depend on a few factors, such as the thickness of the sausage, starting temperature of the sausage roll, your oven etc. In general, these can take between 15 minutes (for smaller sausage rolls) to 30 minutes (for bigger sausage rolls) to cook.
Recipe variations
For these sausage rolls, I’m using apricot and pork sausages, and a blood orange and chili spread. I love this combination because the chili adds a nice kick, and the apricot and orange provide a nice sweet and sour balance to the pork.
I previously shared a gourmet version of these where I paired the ground pork filling with caramelized apple and roasted fennel spice. The addition of spices (such as fennel) is an easy way to truly elevate your easy homemade sausage rolls. Another great pairing for Thanksgiving and Christmas would be use turkey sausages (or pork sausages) with cranberry relish or cranberry sauce! And how about beef sausages with a fruity BBQ sauce? Or lamb sausage rolls with a mint and chili jelly? Pork or chicken sausage rolls with apple or this mango relish? Or chicken and basil sausages with this bourbon tomato jam? You can also make your own homemade puff pastry for an even more buttery, flaky pastry for your sausage rolls!
As you can see, the combinations are endless, and you can be very creative with those flavor pairings by simply switching up the protein, or the fruit spread, or added spices. Just make sure to use some flavorful sausages for best results. I’ve used regular pork brats for these before and those work very well too!
Serving suggestions
If the sausages that you used are very flavorful and the fruit relish packs a punch, then you may not need anything else! However, you can serve these with other sauces and condiments if you like. Here are some suggestions,
Sweet chili sauce Tomato sauce (or ketchup) Ranch dressing Aioli Chili sauce (such as sriracha)
Storage instructions
As mentioned above, after you cut the sausage roll log into portions, they can be stored in the freezer. Place the uncooked, cut sausage rolls on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and cover with plastic wrap. Place this in the freezer and let them harden. As soon as the rolls are frozen, transfer them into an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for later. You can also store cooked sausage rolls in the freezer as well. These leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container. They will last in the fridge for about 3 days, but will last up to 2 months in the freezer (if they are not thawed and refrozen).
To cook from frozen
Uncooked sausage rolls can be cooked from frozen. Do not let them thaw out before cooking. Bake the rolls the same way, but allow them to bake for a few minutes longer. Cooked frozen sausage rolls should be thawed before reheating. This allows for more even reheating. Preheat the oven to 300 F, and reheat the rolls until heated through. This will depend on your oven and the size of your rolls. The internal temperature should be 160 F.
CLICK TO PLAY THE STEP BY STEP RECIPE VIDEO
