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.
Make-Ahead Leek and Poppy Seed Sausage Rolls
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
- 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.
- Carefully unroll the puff pastry onto a chopping board. Cut it in half lengthways so that you have two small rectangular pieces.
- 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.
- Spoon over the pre-cooked leeks or onions and sprinkle some poppy seeds on to the sausagemeat.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Happy festive baking!
Melissa @ Bits of Umami says
Okay – not only do these look delicious, but they are seriously SO freaking cute. Almost too cute to eat (almost). Nom nom 😉
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says
These are lovely Ren. I am a huge fan of making ahead. Thank you for sending to ExtraVeg
Elizabeth says
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!
ema says
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
Sally - My Custard Pie says
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.
laura@howtocookgoodfood says
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!
Jan Bennett @GlugofOil says
You can’t beat a good sausage roll – they look delicious!
Katie Bryson says
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.
Kavey says
I love home made sausage rolls, adding leeks sounds perfect — after all pork and leek sausages always rock. So pretty too!
Vanesther - Bangers & Mash says
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 🙂
Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.) says
LOVE making my own sausage rolls and I love the idea of this filling! (fun to make with kids too!)