Homemade Scottish Sausage Rolls…Great for a Snack or a Meal
Scottish sausage rolls are perfect for breakfast, appetizers, snacks, lunch or dinner, and are super easy to make!
This recipe was originally published on January 24, 2012.
You know that I often post recipes for foods which I miss from Scotland. Well, here’s another one–Scottish sausage rolls!
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Whether eaten alone, as an appetizer, as a quick snack (with HP Sauce, of course), or served with mashed potatoes, peas, and gravy, as a meal: sausage rolls always satisfy. With a crisp and flaky puff pastry on the outside, and deliciously seasoned sausage inside, it’s not difficult to understand why these are so delectable.
Love all things British? Try a traditional toad in the hole!
Don’t be intimidated; they’re easy to make and taste as good as the sausage rolls back home in Scotland. I do hope you try them as I think you’ll love them! Don’t buy packaged sausage meat as this recipe is so much better and tastes more like the real deal from Scotland.
Sausage rolls and Scotch eggs are both delicious pub food offerings!
How are Scottish Sausage Rolls different from English Sausage Rolls?
Normally, sausage rolls in England are made with pork. However, in Scotland, beef is traditionally used, also. If you are hesitant to try this recipe (as I was, initially) have no fear, they are truly delicious! This recipe was given to me by an elderly Scottish lady who was a friend of the family.
How to Make Homemade Scottish Sausage Rolls
Recipe from an old Scottish friend makes 9 large, or 18 small sausage rolls
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- puff pastry
- ground beef (you can still use pork or a mixture of beef and pork, or even turkey)
- salt
- black pepper
- coriander
- nutmeg
- breadcrumbs (see my prior post on how to make your own– see notes)
- egg
Oven temperature 400º F (200º C)
Step-by-Step Directions
Make the Sausage Meat
In a large bowl, mix together the salt with all the spices and breadcrumbs.
Add the ground beef, and about 1/2 cup of water. Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together until it has a meatloaf texture, adding water as needed. The sausage should hold together when squeezed, without being too wet.
Prepare the Sausage Rolls
Next, place the puff pastry on a clean counter, mat or board and cut into rectangular(ish) pieces, they don’t need to be exact, depending on the size of the rolls you want to make; from cocktail size to “man” size. Alternatively, you can make a long roll, and cut into the size desired.
Shape some meat into logs, and place close to one end of the pastry, but don’t put too much meat or they will burst open when baking.
With your finger, lightly dampen one of the edges with a little water, seal shut, then crimp with a fork, as shown .
Place on a lined (silicone sheet, aluminum foil or parchment paper) edged baking tray. Make three or four small cuts in the top of the pastry, and brush with a little beaten egg white.
TIP: if serving as appetizers, just make them smaller or cut into bite sized pieces before baking.
Bake the Sausage Rolls
Finally, bake sausage rolls in preheated 400º F (200º C) oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Can I freeze Sausage Rolls?
YES! These sausage rolls freeze really well and are a great party food! Here’s what I do: bake them as directed below, but take them out of the oven about 5 to 7 minutes early so they’re not as golden brown as you would want them. Cool completely, then freeze.
How do I Reheat Frozen Sausage Rolls?
To serve your frozen Scottish sausage rolls, defrost them in the refrigerator beforehand. When you want to heat them, take them from the refrigerator and place on a baking sheet for at least half an hour or bring to room temperature. Place in preheated oven at 375º F (190º C) for 10 to 15 minutes or until hot and golden brown.
Scottish sausage rolls are wonderful served hot, right out of the oven, with HP Sauce. Incidentally, isn’t your mouth watering already? These black pudding Scotch eggs are another delicious British pub food creation!
What to Serve with this Recipe
Although sausage rolls can be served on their own, they are great when accompanied by any mix or combination of the following:
- mashed potatoes
- Heinz Beans
- peas
- chips (French fries)
- baked potato
- boiled potatoes
You may also enjoy this Scottish recipe for Lorne Sausage (or square sausage)
Homemade Scottish Sausage Rolls
Ingredients
- 18 oz puff pastry (easiest is buying a package like Trader Joe's)
- 1 lb ground beef (you can still use pork or a mixture of beef and pork or even turkey)
- 1 cup water or less
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- ¾ tsp coriander (dried, ground do not use fresh cilantro)
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 egg white (slightly beaten)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F (200C)
- In a large bowl, mix together the salt with all the spices and breadcrumbs.
- Add the ground beef, and about 1/2 cup of water. Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together until it has a meatloaf texture, adding water as needed. The sausage should hold together when squeezed, without being too wet.
- Place the puff pastry on a clean counter, mat or board. Cut into rectangular(ish) pieces, they don’t need to be exact, depending on the size of the rolls you want to make; from cocktail size to “man” size. Alternatively, you can make a long roll and then cut them into the size you desire.
- Shape some meat into logs, and place close to one end of the pastry, but don’t put too much meat or they will burst open when baking.
- With your finger, lightly dampen one of the edges with a little water, seal shut, then crimp with a fork, as shown.
- Place on a lined (Silpat, aluminum foil or parchment) edged baking tray, make three or four small cuts in the top of the pastry, and brush with a little beaten egg white.
- Bake sausage rolls in preheated 400º F oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve with brown sauce (HP Sauce is my preference).
Notes
- These sausage rolls freeze really well and are a great party food!
- Here's what I do: bake them as directed, but take them out of the oven about 5 to 7 minutes early so they're not as golden brown as you would want them. Cool completely, then freeze.
- To serve your frozen Scottish sausage rolls, defrost them in the refrigerator beforehand.
- When you want to heat them, take them from the refrigerator and place on a baking sheet for at least half an hour or bring to room temperature.
- Place in preheated oven at 375º F (190º C) for 10 to 15 minutes or until hot and golden brown.
Nutrition
Another Scottish recipe using ground beef (mince) and puff pastry from my Scottish pal, Janice!
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I made the Homemade Scottish Sausage Rolls, and they were delicious. Wish my Scottish father was still alive as he would of loved them. He smothered everything in HP sauce.I rate this a 5 and any other recipes of yours deserve the 5. You can’t please everyone and sometimes I believe the negative Nellie’s aren’t very good cooks to start with. Thanks from Canada 😀for sharing your recipes and thank god for the BLOCK button eh !!!!!
Thanks so much for your support, Dawn! I would have gotten along well with your father. :) I agree wholeheartedly about the negative comments! Happy New Year! CC
Dawn, would these be the same sausage rolls I had at the snack counter in “the Bay” years ago in Edmonton? As a teenager, I could tell the sausage was different from what I was used to in the States, but couldn’t tell yo just what that difference was. (I did know I liked both kinds!)
Wonderful sausage roll recipe.
Thank you, Patricia!!
These sausage rolls are lovely. I lived in England (I know, I’m sorry.:) for a decade before getting stuck in the US midwest. You can’t find any British foods here at all, so I’ve had to make them myself. These are simple enough that even a notoriously terribly cook like myself can make them. And my son agrees they taste just like ‘home’!
Haha! Thanks for the wonderful comment, Julie! So glad you are able to have sausage rolls again, and I agree with your son, they do taste like the ones from home. :) Hope you find other treasures on my site (Custard Creams, Steak Pie, Piccalilli, etc.)
I made the sausage rolls! They were easy and tasted delicious. My friends and family want more. That says a lot about the taste since most are from Scotland or have been and had the originals.
The cost to make them was under $8.00. I had the spices.
All I need now is a recipe for Lorne Sausage.
Thank you so much, Carol! This means a lot to me because now others will see that it’s not just me saying how good they taste! Thanks for including the cost; I never thought to add that. And as for the Lorne sausage recipe, it’s coming soon so hope you’re signed up for my email subscription (it’s free). :) Thanks again! CC
Is it possible to make the sausage rolls and the freeze them uncooked?
Hi Clare, a couple of reasons I wouldn’t do this: if the meat was frozen already you can’t refreeze it, and also this goes for the puff pastry which is usually frozen. I would bake them until they’re almost ready then freeze them. When you defrost them, you can finish them off in the oven and they’ll be like freshly baked. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much Christina. That’s what I’m going to do
Excellent! Let me know how they turn out!
I made mine and put them in the freezer uncooked and they were fine. I gave them them to my Mum and Aunt (we’re all Scottish born and raised) and they were just perfect with them asking me to make more.
This is perfectly fine as long as you’re not re-freezing items that have been defrosted. They will turn out, but for safety reasons, I wouldn’t advise it. https://www.thekitchn.com/5-foods-you-should-never-refreeze-tips-from-the-kitchn-212039
Hello!
Can you substitute with ground sausage? And maybe add chopped onion?
Hey Megan, you can substitute with whatever you like, but just know that it will not taste the same. I urge you to try the recipe once as is, then decide how to proceed next time. I’ll bet you won’t change a thing! :)
OMG, I just made this recipe and cooked up a little extra meat I had leftover to taste…absolutely delicious. Can’t wait until I actually cook them. It’s been many years since I had a sausage roll back home but I suspect they weren’t this good. Thanks for posting.
I’m so glad, Leigh! Everyone loves these, so I hope you and your friends/family enjoy them, too! (I’m assuming and maybe I shouldn’t) ;)
They look so yummy. I hope to try this recipe and I hope they look as yummy and taste as they look as well. 😅Wish me luck! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Jessica, they actually taste better than they look and I doubt you need luck, but good luck!! Let me know how they turn out! Enjoy!
I love the concept of these rolls. I just recently found a good source for ground lamb and going to try this recipe with a Middle Eastern spin. I know… not Scottish, but I think any meat mixture could work.
They look absolutely stunning.