Whether you’re looking for a tasty snack, easy appetizer or fun picnic idea, these Sausage Phyllo Rolls are the perfect addition to your summer recipe collection! Tasty Italian sausage mixed with flavorful mushrooms, walnuts (yes, walnuts!), dried cranberries, onions and spices; it all comes together in a flaky, buttery pastry. I mean, what’s not to love?? Made with phyllo pastry instead of puff pastry, these delightfully crunchy sausage rolls are a fun twist on that classic British party food. Flaky, crispy and baked to perfection, be prepared to savor every bite as they will most certainly disappear fast!

Why Use Phyllo Pastry Over Puff Pastry?

We chose to use phyllo (filo) pastry over puff pastry to make our sausage rolls. Although both versions are delicious, phyllo pastry adds a delightful crunch making the rolls that much better (at least we think so)! The main differences between these two pastries is their fat content and how you prepare them. Puff pastry is a layered dough that gets its signature “puff” from the high butter content, whereas phyllo pastry dough uses less butter (most recipes call for oil instead of butter) and results in a flakier crust. 

How To Make Sausage Phyllo Rolls

This recipe is super easy and relatively uncomplicated to make. Here’s how you make sausage phyllo rolls:

1. You’re going to start with the filling. Gather the ingredients and in a large skillet, cook sausage, onion, garlic, celery, over medium high heat 4-6 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up sausage into crumbles. 
2. Add mushrooms to the sausage mixture and sauté for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in walnuts, cranberries, parsley, roasted peppers, sugar, pepper and cayenne. Let cool completely. 
3. Next, you are going to work on the pastry. Preheat the oven to 400F and place one triangle of phyllo dough on a work surface; brush lightly with butter.
4. Place 1 tbsp of the sausage mixture in a narrow row across the bottom of phyllo within 1 in. of the edges. Fold bottom and edges of phyllo over filling, then roll-up. Repeat for the rest.
5. Brush tops with remaining butter; brush again with beaten egg.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and Enjoy!

Tips

• As we are using store-bought frozen phyllo pastry, make sure you thaw it our according to the manufacturer’s instructions for best results.
• To prevent the filling from sticking to your hands, dampen them with a bit of water before shaping the rolls.
• If you are having trouble cutting the rolls after enclosing the shaping the sausage in the pastry, place them in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
• To make for an easy clean-up, line your baking tray with parchment paper.

Variations

You can most certainly get creative with these rolls! Here are some variations that work well with this recipe:

• Add more veggies! Finely chopped peppers or spinach are excellent choices.
• Make bite-sized rolls. If you prefer a pop-in-your-mouth version, you can make tiny rolls by slicing them 1-2 inches long before baking.
• Spice it up! Experiment with other herbs to create the best flavour possible. Sage and thyme are common additions to sausage rolls.
• Change up the meat. If you prefer cooking with beef instead of pork, ground beef will also work well. In fact, in Scotland ground beef is often used to make sausage rolls.
• Want to dip them? The best sauces to pair with sausage rolls are honey mustard, ketchup or even a beer-cheese dip.

Can You Freeze Them?

Yes, sausage rolls generally freeze pretty well. For best results, freeze unbaked sausage rolls before adding the egg wash on top. Cut them into your preferred size and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for 2-3 months. When ready to eat, defrost the sausage rolls in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, apply the egg wash and bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes.