Aussie Homemade Beef Sausage Rolls

Crispy, flaky pastry wrapped around a soft, savoury meat filling is always a recipe for success. Our Aussie Beef Sausage Rolls are super quick and easy to prepare, and are freezer friendly, so you can make them ahead.

Why We Love This

We’ve always got a batch of these frozen and ready to go. Perfect for a quick mid-week lunch when you’re having a busy week or when friends or family call over for an unexpected visit.

These are also a treat for those who aren’t fans of pork sausage rolls, but want the sausage roll experience none-the-less! Not to mention they’re way cheaper than buying them from the bakery!

Related: Party Pies / Spinach & Feta Triangles

What are Beef Sausage Rolls? 

It’s probably safe to say that sausage rolls (okay yes and meat pies) are revered in Australia. At the bakery, you’ll usually find pork sausage rolls but we love the flavour of beef just as much.

Our beef sausage rolls are layered in flaky puff pastry and stuffed with beef mince with a touch of thyme and sautéed onions. They’re a real treat and taste quite gourmet if we don’t say so ourselves!

Just to make things that little bit extra Australian, we followed our sausage roll entrée with a batch of chicken pasta bake, then topped everything off with good old fashioned lamingtons for dessert.

Where We Learnt This Recipe

Way back in primary school days, well before the healthy fruits and salads took over, there were two humble Australian foods loved by kids everywhere.

You could either be a Sausage Roll Fan or a Meat Pie Fan, and it was like an unspoken code: You could NEVER be both.

I was am firmly on the sausage roll team. On days when Mum would give us money in a brown paper bag to order our lunch from the school canteen, I’d be there at lunch time in sausage roll bliss.

Some part of me realised there was a socially accepted “way” in which to properly eat a sausage roll. Something along the lines of:

1. Poke holes in top and fill with tomato sauce
2. Take a big bite
3. Savour combined deliciousness of crispy, flaky pastry + savoury meat filling

Yeah, well. Not me. The only way I’d my eat my sausage roll was to completely unwrap the pastry, eat the sausage first, and then slowly devour that crispy pastry. Surely I’m not the only one who does this??

I mean, that gorgeously soft-yet-flaky-buttery-goodness should be given the praise it deserves until the very last bite.

Anyway, things have definitely not changed around here. It still is, and always will be, the only way I’ll eat sausage rolls. (Sarah’s eye rolls notwithstanding.)

What You’ll Need

A few pantry staples for these sausage rolls, along with Sarah’s favourite ingredient – mace!

• Puff Pastry Sheets – These work best for that real flaky, crispy pastry.
• Beef Mince – If you don’t have beef mince, you can use sausage meat (squeezed out of the casings) instead or make the pork version.
• Garlic Salt – You should find this at your local supermarket. Alternatively, use 1 tsp of minced garlic and a pinch of salt.
• Mace – This peppery spice is actually the outer case of the nutmeg seed. Substitute with 1/2 tsp of pepper if you need.

How to make Beef Sausage Rolls:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 360°F. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Saute the onions for a few minutes until translucent. Allow to cool.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and add the milk to make the egg wash.
3. Place beef mince in a large mixing bowl. Add half the egg wash, cooked onions, breadcrumbs, thyme, mace and garlic salt. Mix well with hands to combine and form into a large ball.

4. Place equal portions of beef mixture across the middle of each sheet of puff pastry (mixture should be around 2 cm wide x 2 cm high).
5. Fold the right hand side of the pastry over the mince, brush the top and open side with leftover egg wash mixture then continue to roll up.
6. Place sausage roll on a lined baking tray (seal side down), then baste with remaining egg wash.
7. Optional: Partially slice sausage rolls into 4-5 cm / 2 inch pieces (cut down around 3/4 of the way, leaving the base of the pastry intact).
8. Bake for around 30-40 minutes or until meat is cooked and pastry is flaky and golden brown.
9. Cut or break apart the sausage rolls into pieces. Serve immediately with tomato sauce.

Wandercook’s Tips

• Storage – Sausage Rolls will keep for up to a few months in the freezer. Wrap up uncooked sausage rolls in cling film and you’ll always have a tasty treat on hand. Once cooked, they’ll keep for a few days in a sealed container in the fridge, or you can freeze them if you need and just reheat in the microwave or oven. Watch out: If reheating in the microwave, your pastry will lose the crispiness, but should still taste okay!

FAQs

Variations

• Add veggies – If you want to make them a little healthier, add 1 grated carrot and 1 grated celery stick to the beef mince mixture.
• Make the more traditional Pork Sausage Rolls!

Want more Australian classics? Give these a go next.

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