Just think of this dish as a giant, circular ‘pigs in a shared blanket’. This Pull-Apart Sausage Roll Wreath is made with only 2 ingredients and is so much fun to share with friends as a Christmas, Holiday or New Year’s Eve party appetizer. It is best served with an easy-to-make cranberry apple sauce.

A puff pastry sausage roll wreath on a round board with 1 missing with fresh cranberries and a cranberry apple sauce in the background

A ‘tear and share’ appetizer that looks holiday fancy, but is really not that difficult to make because you don’t have to actually make the pastry or the sausage! You’re just ‘bringing them together.’

Most people know that Brits (like me) love our sausage rolls and I could eat them every day; any time. In fact, these make a delicious breakfast (if you have any leftover, that is). Simply put them on a baking sheet in a 350°F/175°C oven for 5-10 minutes and the pastry will crisp up nicely.

A closeup of the sausage roll wreath with cuts showing the sausage inside

They are also perfect for a hearty bite to serve with drinks. For a non-wreath option, try my Mini Pork Apple & Sage Sausage Rolls with Curry Ketchup, or, if you want to go old-school, the traditional Homemade Sausage Rolls with homemade pastry.

In-keeping with the Christmas/Holiday theme, I even turn my turkey dinner leftovers into sausage rolls. Check out these Turkey, Stuffing and Cranberry Sausage Rolls.

You may be wondering why unsweetened applesauce is used, but a bit of sugar is actually added. This is because I like to control how sweet the sauce is and sugar is needed because of the cranberries are so tart. So, it’s best to start with a baseline sweetness, then build from there.

Cranberry apple sauce served in a grey bowl

The type of sausage you use is entirely up to you. I like a good British pork sausage, but I have also used both mild and spicy Italian sausage. You can also make 2 or 3 of these and use different sausages so people have a choice. A sausage roll smorgasbord!

If you would like to serve a vegetarian sausage roll in addition to the meat, a great idea would be to take the filling recipe to my Vegetarian Mushroom Wellington with Gravy and use that instead of pork sausage.

Yield: 11

Pull Apart Sausage Roll Wreath

Puff pastry rolled into a wreath shape filled with pork sausage on a board with fresh cranberries in the center

A simple, but impressive appetizer of pork sausage wrapped in puff pastry, served with a cranberry apple sauce.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the sauce:
  • 2 cups (200 grams) fresh cranberries, rinsed
  • 1 cup (250 grams) unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Small pinch nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • For the sausage rolls:
  • 10 ounces (285 grams) pork sausage meat (removed from casing)
  • Puff pastry, defrosted * see note
  • 1 egg beaten with a little milk
  • Black and white sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

  1. For the sauce:
    To a pan add the cranberries, applesauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, when bubbling, turn down to low and cook, stirring until all the cranberries pop. If it is too thick, add more water until you reach your desired consistency. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  2. For the sausage roll:
    Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment/baking paper.
    On a clean work surface (away from the raw meat), dust with flour and roll out the puff pastry to a 4 x 24 inch (10 x 60 cm) rectangle, with the long edges closest to you. Depending on the size of your pastry, you may need to cut and piece the pastry together to make it longer
  3. Place the sausage meat down the length of the pastry, at the edge closest to you then take the edge closest to you and roll over the meat to create a nice roll, don’t overlap the pastry too much, just a little and trim off the rest. Press the seam to seal and make sure it is on the bottom. Transfer the roll to the baking sheet with the edge of the pastry on the bottom and shape into a circle, sealing the ends together as best you can.
  4. Use a sharp knife, or kitchen shears, cut the pastry every 2-inches (5 cm) along on the top and a little down the sides of the entire length of the roll, just to reveal the meat.
  5. Brush with the rest of the egg wash all over the pastry, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
  6. When removed from the oven allow to rest before serving.

Notes

I like to defrost in the fridge overnight, then keep cold right up until you need it.

Nutrition Information

Yield

11

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 305Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 70mgSodium 594mgCarbohydrates 10gFiber 1gSugar 6gProtein 13g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.