Nanna’s Juicy Beef Sausage Rolls

A good sausage roll is a thing of beauty. Layers of buttery puff pastry wrapped around a juicy beef and cheddar filling that’s simple but full of flavour. And that’s exactly what you get with this beef sausage roll recipe – flaky, cheesy, meaty and so damn juicy, just how we like ’em!

Serve them warm with lashings of tomato ketchup, or some homemade tomato chutney if you’re feeling a little fancy.

If you’re new here, you might not know I also run a small online store where I keep many of the tools I cook with every day, along with a few timeless homewares for good, slow living…

Why You’ll love this recipe

• It’s Family-friendly: Both kids and adults are going to love these for their cheesy, juicy, meaty middle and crisp, flaky puff pastry.
  
• Easy to prep ahead: Pre‑assemble and refrigerate or freeze uncooked rolls, then bake when ready. Batch cookers, I got you! Stash a batch in the freezer, and you’ll never wonder what’s for lunch after Saturday sport ever again!
  
• Crowd-pleaser: Great for picnics, parties, or just because! Good party, Sausage rolls just make a party – Plus, I’ve never met anyone who didn’t devour a homemade sausage roll, have you?

You’ll need a few simple ingredients

• Beef mince – Don’t go too lean here or your sausage rolls can end up dry. I use roughly 80/20 beef mince. In Australia, the 82/18 mince you’ll find at Woolworths and Coles works a treat.
• Sausage mince – I’m talking about the tubes of sausage mince you’ll find at the supermarket, not the filling squeezed from beef sausages.
• Onion & garlic – For loads of flavour in the beef filling.
• Fresh breadcrumbs – I make mine with two slices of sandwich bread blitzed in the food processor, which gives me around 1⅓ cups. Panko breadcrumbs also work if you don’t want to make your own.
• Eggs – help bind the sausage roll filling together and for brushing over the pastry before baking.
• Fresh parsley & dried basil – The herbs I use in the filling, along with sea salt and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.
• Vintage cheddar – Coarsely grated. A good sharp cheddar gives you little pockets of cheesy goodness throughout the beef filling.
• Puff pastry – Premade frozen puff pastry sheets keep things super easy.
• Sesame seeds – Optional, for sprinkling over the top before baking. Poppy seeds work too.

Here’s how to make these homemade sausage rolls…

1. Make the beef filling. Combine the beef mince, sausage mince, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, herbs, egg, seasoning, and grated cheddar. Mix until everything is just combined – don’t overwork it.

2. Assemble the sausage rolls. Shape the beef mixture into long logs and place onto the puff pastry sheets. Roll the pastry around the filling, sealing the edge.

3. Chill. Pop the assembled sausage rolls into the fridge to firm up before slicing. This also helps keep that puff pastry beautifully cold.

4. Slice and finish. Cut into your preferred size – party sausage rolls or larger lunch-sized ones – then brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if using.

5. Bake until golden. Space them out on your baking tray and bake until the pastry is puffed and golden and the beef filling is cooked through.

Ok, so I’m making this by hand; however, I like to make my life super easy by making this recipe in my trusty Magimix food processor. It makes the meat mixture in under 5 minutes, shaving off valuable time that you could be… (I’ll let you think about that for a sec!)

While it’s a little more work chopping all the individual ingredients by hand, you’ll get the same result. To mix all those bits together by hand, you’ll start with a large bowl. You’ll also need a large baking sheet to bake onto, as well as measuring tools, a sharp knife, and a pastry brush.

Storage

Make ahead: Assemble the sausage rolls, place them on a baking paper-lined tray and cover. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days, then slice, egg wash and bake when you’re ready.

To freeze uncooked sausage rolls: I prefer to freeze them before baking. For large sausage rolls, chill them for a couple of hours until firm, then double-wrap and freeze for up to 6 weeks. For smaller party sausage rolls, freeze them in layers with baking paper between each layer.

To store cooked sausage rolls: Let any leftovers cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze cooked sausage rolls: Cool completely before freezing in an airtight container. Reheat in a hot oven for around 10–15 minutes until heated through and the pastry has crisped back up.