These pork, sage and pancetta gourmet sausage rolls are a step up from the classic kid’s party food and are so easy making them perfect for any occasion! With a twist on classic flavours, these gourmet sausage rolls have cemented their place on the adults table!
In Australia, it’s very rare that a special occasion or gathering doesn’t warrant a platter of mini sausage rolls and party pies. And while they are at every event, they are always the first to go as everyone loves these meaty, pastry wrapped treats!
Today’s version is a bit of an elevation from the classic sausage roll recipe making it the fancier uncle. We’re talking an upgraded, luxury sausage roll recipe.
Gourmet sausage rolls usually consist of better quality meat, generally pork, with the inclusion of spice and aromatic herbs. This recipe uses ingredients you know well so you can be confident in exactly what is in your homemade sausage rolls, plus this version really celebrate the flavours of pork mince through the combination of salty pancetta and earthy sage.
It truly is a perfect flavour combination that is not so far removed from what you expect but still different enough that the extra flavour is a highlight once you’ve crunched through that beautiful golden and flakey puff pastry.
Serve these sausage rolls with tomato sauce (obvs) or fancy it up with a tomato chutney! They make a great lunch, dinner or snack whenever hunger strikes!
Key Ingredients
These mini pork sausage rolls are not just your average party food, packed full of tasty ingredients they will be a hit for any occasion!
- Puff pastry – I always use ready rolled, store bought puff pastry.
- Pork mince – I prefer to use a lean pork mince (ground pork) as we’re adding extra fat with the pancetta anyway.
- Pancetta – to make these a little fancy and add that extra hit of flavour we’re adding pancetta to the mix. If you can’t find it or need a substitute, bacon would be great!
- Fresh sage – fresh sage has a beautiful, mild earthy flavour and compliments the pork so well, I highly recommend trying to find it. If you can’t get sage though, I’d suggest substituting with thyme or a sprinkle of fennel seeds.
- Onion and garlic – essential for flavour
- Egg – to bind the filling ingredients together
- Breadcrumbs – again to help bind the filling and absorb some of the moisture from the meat to keep the filling from becoming dry.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make these gourmet sausage rolls you’ll need a frying pan, large bowl, wooden spoon and a couple of baking trays.
The first step is to get 2 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry out of the freezer and let them thaw on the bench for about 10 minutes. While they are thawing, chop up the onion and pancetta.
Heat some olive oil in a pan and the onion and pancetta, followed by the garlic and the sage leaves. Once the onion is translucent, set the mix aside to cool down slightly.
In a large bowl, mix together the pork mince, the onion and pancetta mix, egg, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix everything together until combined.
Cut the pastry sheets in half so you have four rectangles and evenly divide the meat mixture onto each. Use your hands to shape the meat into a log down the middle of each rectangle going right to each end.
In a small bowl, beat an egg and using a pastry brush, brush the egg along one side of each of the 4 rectangles.
Carefully roll up each rectangle, moving towards the side with the egg wash so that the pastry wraps completely around the meat.
Place seal side down and use a sharp knife to cut the logs into 4 even rolls. You can cut them smaller if you wish if serving these as finger food.
Place the sausage rolls evenly spaced apart on a baking tray lined with baking paper and a light spray of cooking oil. Brush the tops of them well with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Let bake in a preheated oven until the tops are a deep golden brown.
Recipe FAQs
One of the reasons I love sausage rolls is that they are the perfect food to make in advance and then reheat.
To do this, I just fully cook the sausage rolls, let cool and then store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to eat. Then place them on a baking tray and cover with foil. Heat in a moderate oven for 15 minutes and then remove the foil for an additional 5 minutes to let the pastry get crispy again.
Yes! These sausage rolls freeze exceptionally well making them a great snack to keep on hand.
After baking, allow them to cool completely, then store them in an airtight container or freezer bag. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and reheat them in the oven for a few minutes until they’re warm and crispy.
Yes! Gourmet sausage rolls can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until you’re ready to bake them. This allows the flavours to meld together, resulting in an even more delicious outcome. Simply follow the recipe instructions, assemble the rolls, and store them covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake.
More Aussie favourite recipes:
Slow Cooked Curried Sausages
Classic Lamingtons
Cottage Pie
One Pot Sausage Casserole
Easy Rocky Road
Pork, Sage and Pancetta Sausage Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 sheets ready rolled puff pastry
- 500 grams lean pork mince
- 100 grams pancetta
- 8 sage leaves
- 1 small brown onion
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup bread crumbs
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 egg additional
- sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line 2 trays with baking paper and a light spray of cooking oil. Remove two two sheets of ready rolled puff pastry from the freezer and place on the kitchen bench to thaw while preparing the filling.
- Dice the onion and pancetta and roughly chop the sage leaves. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and the onion and pancetta, followed by the garlic and the sage leaves. Once the onion is translucent, set the mix aside to cool down slightly.
- In a large bowl mix together the pork mince, the onion and pancetta mix, egg, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to mix everything together.
- Cut the pastry sheets in half so you have four rectangles and evenly divide the meat mixture onto each. Use your hands to shape the meat into a log down the middle of each rectangle going right to each end.
- In a small bowl, beat an egg and using a pastry brush, brush the egg along one side of each of the 4 rectangles.
- Carefully roll up each rectangle, moving towards the side with the egg wash so that the pastry wraps completely around the meat. Place seal side down and use a sharp knife to cut the logs into 4 even rolls.
- Place the sausage rolls evenly spaced apart on a baking tray. Brush the tops of them well with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a deep golden brown on top.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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