Created out of a love of Italian sausage, these Italian-style Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls are a massive crowd pleaser appetizer at all kinds of parties and holiday gatherings, and on quiet weekends when you just want something delicious to eat. Made with store-bought puff pastry, I’ve turned classic British sausage rolls on their end by stuffing them full of cheese and Italian seasoning. How can you possibly go wrong here?
If you’ve ever watched The British Baking Show for more than a few episodes, you’ll know that at some point “sausage rolls” are mentioned by either the contestants, judges, or hosts with a kind of dreamy nostalgia about a food lovingly missed for quite some time.
And as an American, it took me years – until the BBC aired the first episode featuring sausage rolls – to figure out what sausage rolls are.
What Is a Sausage Roll?
What it comes down to, my American friends, is that puff pastry sausage rolls are the British equivalent of our beloved American pigs in blankets.
Where we make these appetizers with tiny hot dogs or cocktail sausages wrapped in crescent roll dough or as an elevated version with puff pastry dough, the British wrap a sausage mixture in puff pastry, brush it with egg wash, and maybe sprinkle the pastry with poppy seeds or bagel seasoning before baking to a golden brown sheen.
And oh my goodness, the difference is huge!
Why You’ll Love These Rolls
I’m not going to lie: I really do looove pigs in blankets. They’ve been a staple party appetizer in my family for decades so obviously, I’m rocking the boat here a bit.
However, if you also love pigs in blankets, sausage rolls are definitely going to be up your alley! Here’s what you’ll love most about them:
Classic British sausage rolls with an Italian spin, where gooey cheese-stuffed sausage bakes perfectly inside flaky puff pastry.
Lunch or a snack that fits easily in your hand.
Incredible kid-friendly snack or meal (serve with a side salad!) that the adults will flip for too!
5 simple ingredients from the pantry and the freezer make these easy sausage rolls almost inexcusable to not make.
An easy appetizer that you can make ahead and quickly reheat in the oven or air fryer when it’s time to entertain.
Buttery, flaky puff pastry is a small luxury that you and your party guests will always appreciate being served.
Sausage Roll Ingredients
This is a supremely easy sausage roll recipe to make and you’ll only need a few ingredients to pull these together!
Here is the grocery store list of ingredients you need. Be sure to keep scrolling down to the recipe card for the full printable Ingredients list and the full recipe!
Frozen puff pastry: Be sure to thaw the puff pastry in the fridge overnight before starting this recipe. This is one of the things I always have sitting and waiting in my freezer to be used. Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets are perfect for this recipe; Dafour puff pastry is a notch above and its my personal favorite store-bought puff pastry. Homemade rough puff pastry works too, if you feel like making it (I never do).
Italian sausage links: Use sweet Italian sausage for those with spice aversions or hot Italian sausage for those people who like a little kick in their sausage.
Spices: Whole fennel seeds, Italian seasoning mix, Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
Mozzarella cheese: You’ll need a block of mozzarella cheese (not fresh mozzarella). Whole milk mozzarella has the best flavor and will melt the best.
An egg: Mixed with a little water, a beaten egg creates an egg wash to help the top of the pastry brown while baking.
PRO TIP #1
By keeping a box of frozen puff pastry on hand at all times, you can easily plan recipes like these easy sausage rolls without having to make an extra trip to the grocery store. I recommend either Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets or Dafour puff pastry sheets.
How to Make Sausage Rolls
I’ve got loads of step-by-step photos to show you how to make these homemade sausage rolls so let’s get started! Be sure to keep scrolling down to the recipe card for the full list of Instructions!
STEP 1: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
STEP 2: Cut the thawed puff pastry sheets into rectangles and chill them on the baking sheet.
STEP 3: Roll the sausage meat out into a square with a rolling pin, sprinkle with the seasonings, and cut into squares.
STEP 4: Wrap the cheese pieces with the sausage pieces and place each one on top of a piece of puff pastry. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and roll the puff pastry around the sausage roll. Place seam side down on the baking sheet and chill again.
STEP 5: Using a silicone pastry brush, brush the tops with egg wash, sprinkle with some Kosher salt and black pepper.
STEP 6: Bake in a preheated oven until the tops of the flaky puff pastry are golden brown
PRO TIP #2
Check the internal temperature of the sausage meat with a meat thermometer – it should read at least 140 degrees F.
How to Store and Freeze Sausage Rolls
Store the baked sausage rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; they’ll still taste ok by then but will have become very soggy.
You can also freeze sausage rolls, either prebaked or after you bake them.
To freeze before baking: Line up the prepared sausage rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze the rolls until frozen solid. Then, transfer the frozen sausage rolls to a ziptop bag with the air squeezed out (label the bag with the baking instructions and date), and freeze for up to 2 months. Add 4 minutes to the baking time when you bake the frozen sausage rolls.
To freeze after baking: Allow the rolls to cool completely on a wire rack or on a plate if you’ve served them already. Freeze and store in the same manner as the prebaked rolls. Reheat frozen precooked sausage rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Swaps and Substitutions
Is savory pork sausage not your thing? Here are some great Swaps and Subs plus a few extra ideas!
Try turkey sausages or chicken sausages for the sausage mixture instead of pork sausages.
For more classic British sausage rolls, skip the Italian seasoning. Keep the whole fennel seeds – they give the sausage its great sausage flavor – and add some garlic powder and onion powder instead.
Sprinkle some sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or bagel seasoning on top of the uncooked sausage rolls before baking.
PRO TIP #3
No Soggy Bottoms Here! To prevent soggy bottoms on your little sausage rolls, be sure to keep the puff pastry dough and the parchment-lined baking sheet cold. This will help keep the butter from melting all over the parchment paper during the bake.
Buttery puff pastry and Italian sausage take pigs in blankets to a gourmet level! These Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls are my spin on the classic British sausage rolls, but with flaky puff pastry and savory sausage filling stuffed with gooey mozzarella cheese.
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Ingredients
UnitsScale
14ozpuff pastry (I used Dafour)
1lbground sweet Italian pork sausage
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
4oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, cut into 12 equal pieces, about 2×1/2-inch each
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
For serving:
Marinara sauce
Instructions
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a well-floured board or counter, divide the piece of puff pastry into 2 equal pieces and roll each of them out into squares just larger than 9×9-inches. Trim the edges with a knife so each piece of dough is 9×9-inch each. Chill the pastry on a baking sheet.Roll the ground sausage meat out between 2 pieces of wax or parchment paper into a 9×9-inch square. Sprinkle the top with the Italian seasoning and fennel seeds. Using a knife, cut the sausage square into 12 equal pieces.
Remove the pastry from the fridge and slice each square into 6 equal rectangles. Take one piece of cheese and wrap one piece of sausage around it, fully encasing the cheese (this will prevent cheese leakage) and shaping it into a log.
Place the sausage-cheese log on one the short end of one of the pastry rectangles. Repeat with the remainder of the sausage, cheese, and pastry rectangles. Brush the open end of one of the pastry rectangles (the end opposite of the sausage log) with egg wash. Roll the pastry around the sausage log and press the pastry ends together so they stick. Place the sausage roll seam-end down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining sausage rolls. Chill the rolls on the baking sheet for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350° F.
Brush the top and sides of the rolls with egg wash. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the top of each sausage roll.
Bake for 20 minutes. With the oven door closed, turn the oven up to 400° F and continue baking the rolls for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the pastry is medium golden brown.
Warm the marinara sauce up and serve it in small bowls for dipping alongside the hot sausage rolls.
Reheating: Preheat oven to 350° F. Place leftover sausage rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and heat for 10 to 12 minutes.
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