Apple-Shallot Sausage Rolls – How to Love Cooking
Apple-Shallot Sausage Rolls with Apricot Mustard
Yeah, you’re going to want to make these Apple-Shallot Sausage Rolls for your next party…or maybe just for your next snack.
Apple-Shallot Sausage Rolls are basically next-level pigs-in-a-blanket. These, however, are made with leaner turkey sausage. I am by no means throwing shade on pigs-in-a-blanket. (Heaven knows how fast I will go to town on a plate of those.) Nevertheless, if you’re ready to graduate from standard appetizers to supreme ones, feel free to make this recipe for your next gathering.
Sausage rolls were one of the first dishes I learned how to cook waaaay back when. They’re simple, flavorful and always a hit at parties. Plus, they don’t take that much effort to prepare, and you get all the points for making something from scratch, or semi-from scratch. (We’re not going to make our own puff pastry here, but if you’ve got the desire, I won’t stop you!)
I added a few extra steps by tossing in spiced apples, sautéed shallots, and a few other autumn appropriate herbs. The extra ingredients add a subtle, unique flavor that makes them perfect for the season – or Thursday afternoon.
Apple-Shallot Sausage Rolls – How to Love Cooking
When I’m a guest at a party, you can usually always catch me at the food table. It’s a good place to hang out for two reasons: 1) food 2) everyone is guaranteed to stop by and get food, so it’s the perfect spot to make a new friend – especially a friend who loves food. (That’s my favorite kind of friend.)
When I’m hosting a party, I like to make sure there are a nice variety of bites to choose from. It’s good to have something hearty with some protein, something vegetarian, something vegan, something gluten-free and a good mix of sweet and savory options. I never want anyone feel left out or leave hungry!
These apple-shallot sausage rolls fit into the hearty/savory/meat protein category quite perfectly. They’re a solid two bites, so just a couple will be sure to satisfy even the hungriest guest. In fact, my favorite part about them might even be the apricot mustard they get dunked into (or drizzled with). It makes for a wonderful sweet and savory balance.
P.S. I’m positive you could switch out apricot preserves for any other preserves you have on hand. Raspberry, strawberry or orange would be fantastic, I’m sure. Additionally, spread this on a turkey sandwich and watch the magic happen!
Apple-Shallot Sausage Rolls – How to Love Cooking
Ok, let’s make apple-shallot sausage rolls!
First, prep the apples and shallots. Then, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a sauté pan and add roughly a cup and a half of diced apples (peep the size the apples should be in the photo above) and three tablespoons of diced shallots. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper, and cook the mixture over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes. The apples should be slightly tender, and the shallots should be translucent. Spoiler alert: this smells good.
After the mixture is cooked, take the pan off the heat. Remove the sausage from the casing, and place it into a bowl. Next, add the sage, parsley, salt and pepper along with the apples and shallots and mix well.
Now, let’s prep the puff pastry. (A note for my Chicago peeps: I found a great deal on puff pastry at Ann’s Bakery in the Ukrainian Village. Puff pastry can be kind of expensive, but not here! Also, it’s a super cool, little Ukrainian market with lots of neat products to try. My favorites are their homemade pickles, breads, and cured meats. Ugh, now I need to go and get all the things! Anyway, I just thought I’d do my good deed for the day and share a tip for the locals!)
Back to the puff pastry! Roll out your 10 x 15 inch rectangle of dough, and slice each third in half to make six pastry strips. A pizza cutter is the best tool for this!
Then, using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop four, 1-tablespoon sized portions of the sausage mixture onto each strip. Be sure to leave space in between each scoop. With a small knife or the pizza cutter, cut between each scoop of filling. Make sure to leave roughly a 1/2 inch border around each dollop of meat mixture. Essentially, each of the six slices of pastry get sliced into four squares with a scoop of filling in the center.
Then, bring two sides of the pastry square together, and pinch them tightly with your fingers to seal them. Be sure to do this well. If they’re not good and sealed, the pastry will puff open in the oven and the sausage filling will fall out of your sausage rolls. It’s super awkward. Avoid this.
If you need to flatten the filling a little as you’re making the rolls, just press the mixture down gently with the back of a spoon so that you can easily roll up the sides. Luckily, puff pastry stretches, just like my favorite pair of yoga pants.
Once you’ve done this 24 times (for 24 rolls), place them on your lined baking sheet, seal side down. Please (!) don’t forget to give them a stellar paint job with your egg wash. This makes them beautiful! Side note, I’m super pumped about my new silicone brushes and will be egg washing literally everything now.
Apple-Shallot Sausage Rolls – How to Love Cooking
Lastly, pop them in the oven at 375 F for 30 minutes until they are completely cooked, golden, and sizzling with the pure heaven that is hot, buttery pastry.
Allow the sausage rolls to cool while you make the apricot mustard. Apricot mustard is very complicated, so pay attention.
Mix ¼ c. apricot preserves with two tablespoons of Dijon mustard (or spicy Dijon, hey-o!) in a bowl and add a pinch of salt.
Oh wait, that wasn’t complicated. I was thinking of Lobster Thermidor. My bad.
I dare you not to eat all of these before your guests arrive.
Enjoy!
Apple-Shallot Sausage Rolls with Apricot Mustard
These sweet and savory sausage rolls are certain to be a hit at your next party!
Ingredients
- 2 Links, uncooked sweet-Italian turkey sausage
- 1 1/4 C. apples, peeled & diced into very small pieces
- 3 TBS shallot, finely diced
- 1-2 TBS olive oil extra virgin
- 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ground sage
- 1 tsp. parsley dried
- 1 pinch salt & pepper
- 1 sheet puff pastry 10 x 15
- 1 egg (for the egg wash)
For the Apricot Mustard
- 1/4 C. apricot preserves
- 2 TBS Dijon mustard
- 1 Pinch salt
Instructions
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Remove the sausage from the casing and place into a medium sized mixing bowl.
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In a medium sized frying pan, heat 1-2 TBS of olive oil over medium high heat.
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Add the diced shallots, peeled & diced apples, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the pan, and cook until the apples are tender and the shallots are translucent. (About 6-8 minutes)
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Take the apples and shallots of the heat, and add them to the bowl with the turkey sausage.
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Add the sage and parsley to the mixture of sausage, apples, and shallots and mix until well combined.
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On a large cutting board, lay out the puff pastry. Cut each third in half with a knife or pizza cutter, making 6 strips total.
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Place four, 1-Tablespoon sized dollops of filling along each strip of puff pastry dough.
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Cut in between each dollop of filling, leaving about a 1/2 inch border around each scoop of mixture.
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Join two sides of the cut-out pastry squares together around the filling, and seal them together tightly with your fingers forming the sausage roll.
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Place the sausage roll seal side down on the baking sheet.
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Continue this process until you make 24 sausage rolls.
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When all the rolls are on the baking sheet, give each roll a coating with the egg wash using a pastry brush.
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Lastly, poke a small hole in the top of each sausage roll with a knife or fork to let the steam out while they bake.
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Bake the rolls at 375 F for 30 minutes until cooked, golden, and heavenly.
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you make the Apricot Mustard.
For the Apricot Mustard
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In a small bowl, mix the apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, and salt until well combined.
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Serve drizzled over the rolls or in a small bowl for dipping.
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Enjoy!
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