These ultimate sausage rolls are a proper crowd pleaser, filled with hearty flavours and wrapped in crisp, golden pastry. They take simple ingredients and combine them in a way that creates something far more impressive than the effort involved. With rich sausage meat as the base, sweet apple, soft red onion, and a touch of fresh thyme to add fragrance, each bite is packed with comfort and character. The mix is lifted even further with a spoon of onion marmalade, which gives the filling a gentle sweetness and a savoury depth that makes these rolls stand out from the usual shop bought version.
The addition of fresh apple brings a hint of natural sweetness and moisture that keeps the filling tender as it cooks. Red onion softens into the mix, adding both sweetness and a subtle savoury edge. The thyme gives a pleasant herbal note without overpowering the main flavours. Soft white bread is used to bind the filling, helping everything hold together while keeping the texture light rather than dense. Salt and pepper give the seasoning you need for balance, creating a filling that feels full of flavour but still familiar and comforting.
Wrapping the mixture in puff pastry gives the rolls their signature flaky, tender crust. The pastry turns crisp and golden in the oven, creating a perfect contrast to the soft, savoury filling inside. Brushing the tops with egg wash adds shine and colour, while a sprinkle of nigella seeds (if you choose to use them) brings a gentle crunch and a subtle aromatic hint that makes the rolls look and taste even more appealing.
These sausage rolls are easy to prepare, ideal for parties, picnics, or simple family snacks, and they always feel special. Once you make them, you may find they become a regular favourite for gatherings or quiet evenings alike.
Ultimate Sausage Rolls
Ingredients
- 500 g sausage meat
- 2 packs shop bought puff pastry
- 2 apples, peeled and cored
- 1 red onion
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 4 slices white bread
- onion marmalade
- 1 egg
- salt and pepper
- nigella seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Place the sausage meat in to a large bowl.
- Grate the onion and apple and squeeze out as much moisture as you can using some kitchen roll (if you don't do this you will end up with soggy sausage rolls), adding to the bowl with the sausage meat.
- Remove the crusts from the bread and blitz to breadcrumbs in a food processor, adding to the bowl with the other ingredients
- Add the thyme leaves (not any of the woody part), and salt and pepper
- Mix all of the ingredients together (best done with clean hands)
- Lay out the pastry and cut each piece in half along the long edge so that you have pieces of pastry
- Add a small amount of the onion marmalade along the length of each piece of pastry
- Create a sausage shape with a quarter of the mixture for each piece of the pastry – it should be about the thickness of a chipolata – and place on top of the onion marmalade
- Fold the pastry over to wrap the mixture so that you have a long sausage roll
- Cut the long sausage rolls into smaller snack size bites – about an inch wide
- Place on a couple of grease proof paper lined baking trays
- Glaze with the egg wash and sprinkle with nigella seeds if you are using
- Place in a pre heated oven at 200℃/180℃ fan for 25-30 mins until golden brown oozing with the onion marmalade
- Once cooked remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge if not eating immediately
For the onion marmalade you could use a shop bought chutney or my onion and chilli marmalade
