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Make-Ahead Leek and Poppy Seed Sausage Rolls

December 8, 2014

Sausage Rolls

We’ve only recently started making our own sausage rolls at home, but now that we’ve tried them, there’s no going back to the shop-bought variety. The homemade version is altogether a different thing – flaky pastry, good quality sausage meat of your choice (I get mine from Hedges Farm in St Albans) and a few optional extras, like some softly cooked leeks (there was a lone leek in my veg box), or caramelised onions, and a sparkling of poppy seeds, or even sesame seeds. We look forward to having these as an after-school snack (they are super-quick to whisk out of the freezer) or as party food and they’d certainly be great for serving up as a homemade canapé to Christmas visitors. Here’s my recipe, hope you get to try them.

Print

Make-Ahead Leek and Poppy Seed Sausage Rolls

Author Ren Behan

Ingredients

  • 1 leek or one sweet onion, finely chopped
  • Drizzle olive oil
  • 1 packet shop bought ready-to-roll puff pastry (preferably rectangular!)
  • 4 good quality sausages
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Poppy seeds or sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Drizzle some olive oil into a frying pan and gently fry the leeks or onions for five or so minutes, until they are soft. Transfer to a bowl to cool and set to one side.
  2. Carefully unroll the puff pastry onto a chopping board. Cut it in half lengthways so that you have two small rectangular pieces.
  3. You now need to remove the sausagemeat from the cases, so, using a sharp knife, score down the sausage lengthways, then remove the sausagemeat and discard the skin. Break up the sausagemeat with your hands and form a long down the centre of the unrolled pastry, leaving some space at either end.
  4. Spoon over the pre-cooked leeks or onions and sprinkle some poppy seeds on to the sausagemeat.
  5. Using a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg around the edge of the pastry, then tightly roll up the pastry so that the sausagemeat is encased. Close the ends of the pastry, pressing down with a fork and then using a sharp knife, cut each roll into mini sausage roll pieces and place onto a baking sheet.
  6. You can freeze the sausage rolls at this stage. I usually freeze them flat on a baking tray in the freezer. Once frozen, pop them into a zip lock bag until needed.
  7. To cook the sausage rolls, place them on a baking tray lined with paper, brush them with some beaten egg and sprinkle a few more poppy seeds on top.
  8. Place in a pre-heated oven (200C/fan 180C/gas 6) and cook for 25 minutes (from fresh) or 35 minutes (from frozen) until they are golden brown on top and the meat has cooked through.

Sausage Rolls

 

I’m linking this up to December’s Simple and in Season as I used fresh, seasonal leeks to add some flavour.

Also, to Festive Family Foodies hosted by Vanesther at Bangers and Mash and Lou at Eat Your Veg as these could be served at a kids Christmas party.

I’m also joining in with Shop Local at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary as my sausages came from a local farm called Hedges Farm.

Finally, to Extra Veg hosted by Michelle at Utterly Scrummy and Helen at Fuss Free Flavours as I’ve added leeks to my sausage rolls.

 

Badges_Dec

Sausage Rolls

Happy festive baking!

Filed Under: Christmas Holidays, Light Meals and Salads, Meat/Poultry12 Comments

« Simple and in Season – December
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About Ren

Ren Behan is a British-born food writer of Polish descent. She is a mum to three young children (13, 10 and 5) and spends lots of time with them in the kitchen. Ren writes about seasonal, family-friendly food on her blog www.renbehan.com. She also contributes recipes and articles to online and print food publications, such as Food52.com, GreatBritishChefs.com, Huff Post Food and JamieOliver.com. She holds a Diploma in Food Journalism with Distinction and has completed a Food Styling course at Leiths School of Food and Wine.

Ren’s cookbook, Wild Honey and Rye: Modern Polish Recipes, draws upon her Polish heritage and regular travels to Poland.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Melissa @ Bits of Umami says

    February 5, 2015 at 2:29 am

    Okay – not only do these look delicious, but they are seriously SO freaking cute. Almost too cute to eat (almost). Nom nom 😉

    Reply
  2. Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says

    January 26, 2015 at 8:19 pm

    These are lovely Ren. I am a huge fan of making ahead. Thank you for sending to ExtraVeg

    Reply
  3. Elizabeth says

    January 2, 2015 at 10:26 am

    What beautiful little morsels of loveliness! I bet I wouldn’t be able to stop at just one or two 🙂 Thank you for sharing your super recipe with the #ShopLocalChallenge and wishing you all the best for the coming year!

    Reply
  4. ema says

    December 13, 2014 at 5:58 pm

    These look delicious – love sausage rolls – always make me think of parties and get togethers with friends and family. Great that you can make ahead too in this busy season

    Reply
  5. Sally - My Custard Pie says

    December 11, 2014 at 4:47 pm

    I’ve added things to the inside of my sausage rolls but never to the outside. What a great idea. Poppy seeds are not allowed here but there are all sorts of other lovely ingredients to be found.

    Reply
  6. laura@howtocookgoodfood says

    December 10, 2014 at 12:41 pm

    There is nothing better tan a home made sausage roll. They are so moreish, it’s the pastry I adore and I always love loads of mustard with mine. Leeks work so well with pork, I love this idea and the poppy seeds add another texture, yum!

    Reply
  7. Jan Bennett @GlugofOil says

    December 10, 2014 at 12:10 pm

    You can’t beat a good sausage roll – they look delicious!

    Reply
  8. Katie Bryson says

    December 10, 2014 at 10:32 am

    You really can’t beat a home made sausage roll at this time of year. So warm and comforting, endlessly customisable and perfect washed down with some festive cocktails or mulled wine 🙂 My latest fave version is mixed up with some grated apple for a fruity spin. Love the idea of buttery leeks though – mmmmmm.

    Reply
  9. Kavey says

    December 10, 2014 at 8:37 am

    I love home made sausage rolls, adding leeks sounds perfect — after all pork and leek sausages always rock. So pretty too!

    Reply
  10. Vanesther - Bangers & Mash says

    December 8, 2014 at 8:41 pm

    I am yet to make my own sausage rolls but I definitely need to sort that out having seen these. They look absolutely beautiful and just perfect for a children’s Christmas party – although I think the adults will be sneaking one or two as well! Thanks so much for sharing with this month’s Family Foodies challenge; they’re a perfect entry 🙂

    Reply
  11. Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.) says

    December 8, 2014 at 5:18 pm

    LOVE making my own sausage rolls and I love the idea of this filling! (fun to make with kids too!)

    Reply

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