Ultimate Christmas Sausage Rolls - Easy Festive Party Snack

These could not be more Christmassy if they tried! The ultimate Christmas sausage rolls packed with stuffing, bacon, and cheese - they're the perfect easy Christmas party snack. Even better, they freeze brilliantly so you can get ahead for all your festive entertaining.

Recipe Details:

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Makes: 15-18 sausage rolls (depending on size)
• Difficulty: Easy
• Special Equipment: Baking tray, greaseproof paper, pastry brush

Move over ordinary sausage rolls - these Christmas sausage rolls are the ultimate festive upgrade! By layering bacon, sage and onion stuffing, cheddar cheese, and quality sausage meat all wrapped in golden puff pastry, you create the most incredible flavour combination that screams Christmas in every bite. The stuffing adds that traditional festive taste, the bacon brings smoky richness, the cheese melts into gooey pockets, and the sausage meat ties it all together. Topped with sesame seeds for extra crunch and baked until the pastry is gloriously golden and flaky, these sausage rolls are absolutely irresistible. They're perfect for Christmas parties, Boxing Day buffets, New Year's Eve gatherings, or even Christmas morning breakfast. The best part? You can make them well in advance and freeze them unbaked, then simply pop them in the oven when guests arrive. They're easy enough for a weeknight but impressive enough for special occasions. Once you try these loaded Christmas sausage rolls, you'll never go back to plain ones again. They're everything festive wrapped up in buttery pastry.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Ultimate festive flavour: Stuffing, bacon, and cheese make these the most Christmassy sausage rolls ever
• Perfect party food: Easy to eat with your hands and absolutely delicious warm or at room temperature
• Brilliant make-ahead: Freeze them unbaked and cook fresh when you need them
• Simple to make: Uses shop-bought puff pastry for ease, but the filling is what makes them special
• Crowd-pleaser: Everyone loves these - they disappear fast at every party

Ingredients

For the Sausage Rolls:

• 450g pork sausages (about 6-8 sausages, good quality)
• 1 cup (approximately 85g) sage and onion stuffing mix
• 180ml (¾ cup) boiling water (or as directed on your stuffing packet)
• 3 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry (about 375g per sheet)
• 150g mature cheddar cheese, cut into long thin strips
• 6-8 rashers streaky bacon
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste

For Serving:

• Cranberry sauce
• Brown sauce or ketchup
• Pickles or chutney

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F). Line one or two large baking trays with greaseproof paper.

2. Prepare the stuffing: Place the stuffing mix in a bowl and add boiling water according to the packet instructions (usually about ¾ cup or 180ml). Stir well and leave to hydrate and cool for about 5 minutes. It should be moist but not soggy. If it looks too wet, add a few more dry stuffing crumbs.

3. Remove sausage casings: Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings into a large bowl. Discard the casings. Use your hands to mash all the sausage meat together until it's combined and smooth.

4. Season the meat: Add a good pinch of salt and pepper to the sausage meat and mix well. Taste a tiny bit to check the seasoning (it's safe - you'll be cooking it thoroughly).

5. Prepare your work surface: Lightly flour your work surface and unroll one sheet of puff pastry. Keep the other sheets in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

6. Layer the bacon: Lay rashers of streaky bacon along the bottom third of your pastry sheet, slightly overlapping. You want a strip of bacon about 8-10cm wide running along the length of the pastry. The bacon should cover about one-third of the pastry width.

7. Add the stuffing: Spread a layer of the prepared stuffing on top of the bacon, about 1-2cm thick. Press it down gently so it's compact.

8. Add the cheese: Lay the strips of cheddar cheese on top of the stuffing layer, running lengthways along the filling.

9. Add the sausage meat: Take about one-third of your sausage meat and shape it into a long sausage shape. Place it on top of the cheese layer, running along the length of the filling. Press it down gently to compact everything.

10. Brush with egg wash: Using a pastry brush, brush the exposed pastry (the part without filling) with beaten egg. This helps seal the roll.

11. Roll it up: Carefully lift the bacon-stuffing side and roll the pastry over the filling, enclosing everything. The egg-washed edge should stick to the rolled pastry, sealing it closed. Position the roll so the seam is underneath.

12. Trim and seal: Trim off any excess pastry with a sharp knife. Use a fork to press down along the sealed edge, creating a crimped pattern and ensuring it's properly sealed.

13. Cut into portions: Using a sharp knife, cut the long roll into individual sausage rolls, about 4-5cm wide each. You should get 5-6 sausage rolls per pastry sheet.

14. Repeat: Repeat the process with the remaining two sheets of pastry and filling ingredients. You should have enough filling for all three sheets.

15. Arrange on trays: Place all the sausage rolls seam-side down on your lined baking trays, leaving about 2cm space between each one.

16. Egg wash and top: Brush the top of each sausage roll generously with the beaten egg. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top of each one.

17. Bake: Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is deep golden brown and crispy. Check the bottom of one sausage roll to ensure the pastry is cooked through underneath - it should be golden, not pale and doughy.

18. Cool slightly and serve: Let the sausage rolls cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a serving platter. They're delicious served warm or at room temperature with cranberry sauce, brown sauce, or your favourite condiments.

Chef's Tips

For the best results: Use good quality sausages with a high meat content (at least 80%). The better your sausages, the better your finished rolls will taste.

Don't overfill: It's tempting to pack in lots of filling, but too much will burst through the pastry during cooking. Keep the layers relatively thin and compact.

Seal properly: Make sure you brush egg wash on the edge and press it firmly to seal. Unsealed rolls will open during baking and lose their filling.

Check the bottom: The most common issue is soggy bottoms. Make sure your oven is properly preheated and check one roll at 30 minutes to see if the bottom pastry is cooked through.

Cut cleanly: Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts for neat sausage rolls. A serrated knife works well too.

Make them ahead: Assemble completely, place on trays, cover tightly with cling film, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Or freeze them as explained below.

Substitutions & Variations

Different stuffing: Try cranberry stuffing mix, chestnut stuffing, or herb stuffing for different festive flavours.

Cheese options: Swap cheddar for Red Leicester, Double Gloucester, or even add a bit of blue cheese for a strong flavour.

Veggie version: Use vegetarian sausages and veggie bacon. Make sure your puff pastry is vegetarian (most brands are, but check).

Turkey sausage rolls: Use turkey sausages instead of pork for a lighter version.

Add cranberries: Mix some dried cranberries into the sausage meat for bursts of sweet-tart flavour.

Herb boost: Add fresh chopped sage, thyme, or parsley to the sausage meat mixture.

Different seeds: Use poppy seeds, nigella seeds, or everything bagel seasoning instead of sesame.

Mustard addition: Spread a thin layer of wholegrain mustard on the pastry before adding the bacon for extra zing.

Storage & Reheating

Storage: Store cooked sausage rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They're delicious cold, at room temperature, or reheated.

Freezing unbaked (best method): Assemble the sausage rolls completely, place on a baking tray, and freeze until solid (about 2 hours). Transfer to freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 5-10 extra minutes to the cooking time. No need to thaw.

Freezing cooked: You can freeze cooked and cooled sausage rolls for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat in a 160°C oven for 10-15 minutes until hot through.

Reheating: Reheat cooked sausage rolls in a 160°C oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through and the pastry crisps back up. Don't microwave as this makes the pastry soggy.

Make-ahead for parties: Assemble the night before, refrigerate, then bake fresh on the day. Or bake them in the morning and serve at room temperature in the evening.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use sausage meat instead of sausages? A: Absolutely! Buy 450g of sausage meat instead of sausages and skip the casing removal step. It's even easier.

Q: My sausage rolls burst open during baking. What went wrong? A: This usually happens from overfilling or not sealing the edge properly. Use less filling, make sure you egg wash the edge well, and press firmly to seal. Also ensure there are no air pockets in the filling.

Q: Can I make mini sausage rolls? A: Yes! Cut them smaller (about 2-3cm wide) and reduce the baking time to 20-25 minutes. Mini ones are perfect for parties and buffets.

Q: Do I have to use bacon? A: No, you can omit it if you prefer. The sausage rolls will still be delicious with just stuffing, cheese, and sausage meat.

Q: Can I make these gluten-free? A: Yes, use gluten-free puff pastry and gluten-free stuffing mix. Check your sausages are gluten-free too. The method remains the same.

Q: Why is my pastry soggy on the bottom? A: Make sure your oven is fully preheated before baking. Also, don't make the stuffing too wet - it should be moist but not soggy. Baking on the lower shelf can help crisp the bottom.

You Might Also Like

Christmas Mince Pies - Complete your festive baking with traditional mince pies made from scratch with homemade mincemeat.

If you want to see how to make these, you can watch the video here.

Enjoy!

Del x

These are the ultimate Christmas sausage rolls and the ultimate easy Christmas party snack! Make them in advance and freeze them - they're brilliant to have ready for all your festive entertaining.