Our Most Popular Holiday Appetizer Recipe of All Time

It's a total sausage fest.

By
Sara Haas
Sara Haas
Sara Haas RDN, LDN, is a food and nutrition expert with formal training in the culinary arts. She works as a freelance writer, recipe developer, media authority, public speaker, and consultant dietitian/chef. Sara has over 20 years of experience as a registered and licensed dietitian. She has also been a professional chef for 15 years and a food photographer for 10 years.
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Published on 12/19/23
Ingredients to make British sausage rolls Ingredients to make British sausage rolls

The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

When you’ve been asked to bring the appetizer, you may consider grabbing a bag of tortilla chips and a jar of salsa and calling it a day, but you can do better. Making a delicious appetizer doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. It’s why our most popular holiday appetizer recipe ever, British sausage rolls, is so beloved. With simple ingredients, easy prep, and tasty results, it’s easy to see why everyone loves it.

They're Easy to Make

You only need four main ingredients to make the sausage rolls. The other items are all kitchen staples. After a quick sauté, chopped onions are mixed with ground sausage meat along with two eggs, salt, and pepper. 

Prepared frozen puff pastry dough gets a quick roll-out before it’s cut in half and topped with a the sausage mixture. The edges are covered in egg wash and the pastry is wrapped around the sausage and sealed. Then the dough gets a brush of egg wash before it’s sliced into bite-sized pieces and baked. 

British sausage rolls British sausage rolls

The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Why This Recipe Works

The beauty of the recipe is its versatility. For example, if you can’t find ground sausage, readers suggest buying ground pork from the meat counter and adding your own seasonings. Or buy links and simply remove the ground, raw sausage from the casings. 

There are plenty of ways to customize the flavor, too. Sauté garlic and other vegetables with the onions for a deeper, earthy vibe. Add crushed red pepper or horseradish or mix in a bit of chorizo for a spicier bite. Chop up some fresh herbs like thyme or parsley to add an herbaceous note. Consider dusting the tops with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or the always-popular everything bagel seasoning.

They’re Easy to Serve

Since these rolls are similar to American-style “pigs-in-a-blanket,” they’re typically well-received by guests. The flaky pastry is a lovely contrast to the seasoned ground meat and provides the ultimate savory bite. Serve it with a variety of sauces like stone-ground mustard, honey-mustard, beer cheese, barbecue sauce, or a spicy harissa-infused yogurt for even more flavor. 

Since they don’t require a fork or toothpick, these British sausage rolls can easily be eaten with hands. But don’t forgo plates and napkins, because your guest will need a place for all of those sauces and something to clean their hands with before they start flipping through your coffee table books.