Turn any leftover cranberry sauce from Christmas into these irresistible pork and cranberry sausage rolls. The sweet, tangy cranberry cuts through the rich pork sausage meat beautifully, while the puff pastry bakes up golden and crisp in the oven. These easy sausage rolls are ideal for snacking or packing into back-to-work lunch boxes, ensuring no cranberry sauce goes to waste.
Recipe at a glance
- How this recipe is made: Store-bought puff pastry spread with leftover cranberry sauce, wrapped around store-bought pork sausages and cut into sausage rolls. The rolls are brushed with beaten egg and oven-baked for 20 - 25 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden.
- Main ingredients: Pork sausages. puff pastry, leftover cranberry sauce.
- Prep time: 20 minutes - to assemble the sausage rolls.
- Cooking time: 20 - 25 minutes in a pre-heated oven.
- Yield: 12 to 18 sausage rolls, depending on how large you cut them.
Jump to:
The best homemade sausage rolls
It's all very well serving cranberry sauce as an accompaniment to your festive feast, but it begs the question: What do you do with a half-empty bottle of cranberry sauce?
I always use it to make a batch of these easy pork and cranberry sauce sausage rolls in the week after Christmas. They take hardly any time to make, are perfect for snacking on, and ensure that I don't end up with a mouldy bottle of cranberry sauce in the fridge come February or March!
Disclaimer - this is more of a method than an actual recipe. All the ingredients are store-bought, so I'm just giving you an idea of what to do with them!
Why I love these tasty little sausage rolls
- Extend the festive season. I know, I know! Once Christmas is over, it's nice to get back to normal. But to be honest, I do miss the special flavour of Christmas treats, and these festive sausage rolls are my way of extending the taste for another week!
- Waste not, want not! That was my Granny's favourite saying - and it's nice to know that half a jar of leftover cranberry sauce is going to good use without being simply thrown in the bin!
- Tasty! The tangy sweetness from the cranberry sauce pairs beautifully with the slight fattiness of the pork sausages, while the puff pastry soaks up all the flavours beautifully.
- Perfect 'back to work' treat. Let's be honest - after all the cooking you've been doing over the festive season, it's nice to have some ready-cooked sausage rolls to pop into a lunch box.
Ingredients for pork and cranberry sausage rolls
**You can find the exact ingredient quantities on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
- Puff pastry. If store-bought puff pastry is good enough for Jamie Oliver, then it's good enough for me. I buy ready-rolled puff pastry. If you buy it in a block, you should roll it out to a rectangle approximately 1-eighth-inch in thickness.
- Cranberry sauce. Leftover from Christmas! I prefer the smooth sauce, but you do you. |f you enjoy the chunky variety, then go for it! Either way tastes amazing.
- Pork sausages. Use your favourite! I happened to have a pack of cheese and caramelised onion pork sausages in the freezer. Any pork sausage will be suitable - but for the best result, use the best quality you can find. You should remove the sausage meat from the casing.
- Egg. This is beaten with a tablespoon of water and used to brush the top of the sausage rolls before they go into the oven. It encourages the pastry to turn a lovely golden brown.
How to make cranberry and pork sausage rolls
- Step 1: Unroll the puff pastry onto a work surface and cut it in half lengthwise. Spread a layer of cranberry sauce down the centre of each length and top with a roll of sausage meat.
- Step 2: Fold the pastry over to enclose the meat and press the edges together with a fork.
💡Tip: If you assemble the sausage rolls on the paper that the puff pastry was wrapped in, you can use the paper to help you fold the pastry over the sausage meat.
- Step 3: Brush the top of each pastry roll with beaten egg and cut each roll into 9 or 10 even pieces.
- Step 4: Transfer the sausage rolls to a baking tray lined with a silicone mat or baking parchment and make 2 slits on the top of each roll with a sharp knife.
💡Tip: If you prefer larger sausage rolls, cut each length into 6 pieces.
- Step 5: Bake in a preheated oven (200C / 180C fan / 400F) for 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
💡Tip: Place a sheet of kitchen paper towel under your cooling rack to catch any drops of fat or oil that may drip off the sausage rolls as they are cooling.
Serving suggestions
These pork and cranberry sausage rolls make a delicious snack or light lunch, served either hot or cold.
To make a more substantial meal, open a can of baked beans and pop a few chips (or French fries) in the air fryer.
You could also add the sausage rolls to a mini ploughman's platter. Just gather a hunk of cheese, a dish of pickled red onions, a few cherry tomatoes, a dish of chutney and a bowl of creamy potato salad. And don't forget some crusty bread and a few slices of ham!
Variations
With sausage rolls, the sky's the limit as far as varying them is concerned. You are limited only by your imagination. Here are a few ideas:
- Combine a couple of tablespoons of caramelised onions with the sausage meat.
- Spread half a cup of grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese on top of the cranberry sauce.
- Mix in a teaspoon of chilli flakes or chilli jam for a touch of heat.
- Sprinkle the sausage rolls with poppy or sesame seeds before baking.
- Instead of using puff pastry, whip up a batch of shortcrust pastry for a sturdier roll - perfect for lunch boxes. You can use shop-bought shortcrust, or make your own from this bacon and egg pie recipe.
Equipment
You don't need a lot of equipment to make these easy cranberry pork sausage rolls; as long as you've got a large flat baking sheet, you're good to go.
To prevent the sausage rolls from sticking to the baking tray, I like to line it with a sheet of baking parchment or a silicone baking liner.
The sausage rolls should be left to cool once they come out of the oven. Pork sausage meat releases fat, so I like to transfer the sausage rolls to a wire rack to cool so that the pastry doesn't become soggy.
Storage
- Refrigerator. Store the pork sausage rolls in the refrigerator in a covered container for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat. I like to eat the sausage rolls at room temperature, so I let them stand on the counter for half an hour or so. If you want them warmer, you could reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds, or even arrange them on a baking tray and reheat them in the oven at 160C / 320F for 10 minutes.
- Freezing. You can freeze the assembled sausage rolls for up to 3 months. Open-freeze them on the baking tray, and once solid, transfer them to a suitable freezer container. Cook from frozen according to the recipe instructions, but add an extra 5 minutes or so onto the time.
Top Tip
If your kitchen is very warm, you may find the pastry becomes sticky and difficult to handle. If this happens, place it in the refrigerator to chill and firm up for a few minutes.
FAQ
The best way to reheat sausage rolls is in the oven, as this keeps the pastry crispy. Arrange them on a baking sheet and pop them into a preheated oven (180C / 360F) for 10 minutes or so.
If you're short on time you can microwave them for 10 to 15 seconds on 75% power. This will warm them without drying out the filling, although the pastry won't be as crispy.
Yes, you can make them gluten-free. Simply use gluten-free puff pastry, which is available in many supermarkets. Check that the sausage meat and cranberry sauce are gluten-free, as some brands may contain hidden wheat or gluten.
The sausage rolls can be assembled up to 24 hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Alternatively, freeze them unbaked and cook straight from frozen.
Save for later
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Visit my savoury tart recipes page for other tasty bakes. Here are a few you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Pork and cranberry sausage rolls
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Large flat baking sheet
- Baking parchment or silicone liner optional
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 pound / 450 grams pork sausages (skins removed)
- 1 roll shop-bought puff-pastry normally 320 grams or 11 ounces
- 3.5 ounces / 100 grams cranberry sauce chunky or smooth
- 1 small egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F
- Unroll the puff pastry onto a work surface and cut it in half lengthwise.1 roll shop-bought puff-pastry
- Spread a layer of cranberry sauce down the centre of each length and top with a roll of sausage meat.3.5 ounces / 100 grams cranberry sauce, 1 pound / 450 grams pork sausages (skins removed)
- Fold the pastry over to enclose the meat and press the edges together with a fork.
- Brush the top of each pastry roll with beaten egg, which has been combined with 1 tablespoon of water, and cut each roll into 9 or 10 even pieces.1 small egg
- Transfer the sausage rolls to a baking tray lined with a silicone mat or baking parchment and make 2 slits on the top of each roll with a sharp knife.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Assemble the sausage rolls on the paper that the puff pastry was wrapped in, and use the paper to help you fold the pastry over the sausage meat.
- For larger sausage rolls, cut each length into 6 pieces.
- Place a sheet of kitchen paper towel under your cooling rack to catch any drops of fat or oil that may drip off the sausage rolls as they are cooling.
- If your kitchen is very warm, you may find the pastry becomes sticky and difficult to handle. If this happens, place it in the refrigerator to chill and firm up for a few minutes.
- Refrigerator. Store the pork sausage rolls in the refrigerator in a covered container for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat. I like to eat the sausage rolls at room temperature, so I let them stand on the counter for half an hour or so. If you want them warmer, you could reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds, or even arrange them on a baking tray and reheat them in the oven at 160C / 320F for 10 minutes.
- Freezing. You can freeze the assembled sausage rolls for up to 3 months. Open-freeze them on the baking tray, and once solid, transfer them to a suitable freezer container. Cook from frozen according to the recipe instructions, but add an extra 5 minutes or so onto the time.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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