Prepare yourself for a sausage roll sensation. Stilton, pear and walnut sausage rolls are the tastiest sausage rolls to come out of my kitchen ever! They have a slight crunch from the walnuts, and the sweetness of the pear cuts through the sharpness of the Stilton perfectly. And let's not forget the crispy puff pastry outer layer! This is what sausage rolls are all about!
How could you guess that a chance remark would lead to a recipe? I was talking to my daughter on Whatsapp the other day and I was telling her that I had made a batch of cheese and onion sausage rolls for hubby's lunch! He happened to be in the room at the same time and piped up 'I'd like it if you could make them with Stilton'.
And the conversation continued. 'Well, that won't go well with onions'...'No, but what about apple?' ...'No, got those' (here's the recipe for pork and apple sausage rolls. They are very good if you'd like to try them 🙂 )!
'Well, what about pears then?' ... 'Oh yes, I love the combination of pears and pork!'
And then ended up with 'Oh, I know, I'll make Stilton, pear and walnut sausage rolls'. And that's a true story!
So I made them. And I have to tell you I'll be making them again and again! These Stilton, pear and walnut sausage rolls are amazing, and delicious, and (enter your own superlative here and let me know in the comments 🙂 )!
And of course, like all good sausage rolls, these are made with juicy pork sausage meat.
For extra oomph (and the sake of appearance) I've sprinkled the sausage rolls with poppy seeds.
Here's the easy recipe:
Jump to:
What you will need
Equipment
You will need a mixing bowl, a cheese grater for grating the pears, and a sharp knife and a chopping board for chopping up the walnuts.
For baking the sausage rolls you will need a large baking tray, and optionally a sheet of baking parchment. I like to line my baking sheet with baking parchment to make washing up easier.
Ingredients
This recipe makes 12 medium-sized sausage rolls. If you cut them smaller you will get 18.
- Sausage meat - I like to buy pork sausage meat for this recipe rather than actual sausages. The reason for this is that the sausage meat is only lightly seasoned with salt and black pepper, whereas sausages normally have other flavourings added and I didn't want them to overwhelm the flavours of the pear and blue cheese. If you can't find sausage meat then I would recommend using plain pork sausages rather than Cumberland or Lincolnshire.
- Stilton - Stilton has quite a strong flavour so you don't need a huge amount. A 200 gram pack (or 7 ounces) will be enough to make 3 batches of these blue cheese sausage rolls.
- Pear - the pear should be grated on the largest holes of a cheese grater. There is no need to peel the pear before grating. I used a Conference pear but any variety of pear will be fine, provided it is ripe enough to eat.
- Walnuts - these should be finely chopped.
- Puff pastry - I used store-bought puff pastry. Once unrolled the pastry measures 35cm x 23 cm or 13.5 inches x 9 inches. If you have a block of puff pastry, roll it out to these approximate measurements.
- Poppy seeds - these are sprinkled on top for garnish. Substitute with sesame seeds if you don't have poppy seeds.
- Egg - this is used for egg-washing the pastry to encourage it to brown.
**You can find the exact measurements for all the ingredients on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
What to do
Place the sausage meat into a mixing bowl, and crumble the blue cheese on top.
Grate the pear, chop the walnuts finely and add them to the mixing bowl.
Now's the time to get your hands in! Mix everything together until well combined. If you prefer you can use a wooden spoon or a spatula.
Roll out the sheet of puff pastry and cut it in half through the middle down the length.
Divide the sausage mixture in half and form two long sausages down the middle of each half of the puff pastry. Brush one side of each length of pastry with beaten egg.
This is the tricky bit! Fold the pastry over the roll of sausage meat, starting with the side without egg-wash. You may have to stretch the pastry slightly. Bring the egg-washed edge up and over and seal the edges together. Don't worry if the join is a little uneven - we are going to bake the sausage rolls with the join underneath, so it won't show.
Cut each roll in half and then divide each half into three sausage rolls. You should get 6 sausage rolls out of one roll, making 12 sausage rolls in total.
Place the sausage rolls (join side down) on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and make 2 or 3 slits on top of each with a sharp knife.
Brush each roll with beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with poppy seeds.
Bake in a preheated oven (190C / 375F) for 25 to 30 minutes until puffed up and golden brown.
Tips for perfect sausage rolls
Here are my top tips to ensure a perfect result:
- When crumbling the blue cheese onto the sausage meat, aim to get pieces of cheese roughly the size of a pea. This will ensure the cheese distributes evenly throughout the meat.
- Do not grate the pear before you are ready to add it to the mixture. Once pear is exposed to the air it will oxidise and turn brown very quickly.
- There is no need to peel the pear before grating it.
- If the pear is very juicy you may find that there is a fair bit of juice released when you grate the pear. Do not add this juice to the meat mixture or it will leech out as the sausage rolls bake.
- Chop the walnuts very finely - also about the size of a pea. Do not use a food processor to chop the walnuts or they may become too fine. A sharp knife is all you need.
- I find it easiest to use my hands to mix all the ingredients together. If you prefer you can use a spatula or wooden spoon, but do ensure that everything is well mixed.
- Once you have formed the sausage rolls, and cut them to size, they will be quite flat. If you roll them gently in your hand you can form them into more circular cylinder before placing them on the baking tray.
- Don't forget to eggwash the sausage rolls before baking!
- Check the sausage rolls after 25 minutes - if they are not quite done, leave them in the oven for a further 5 minutes.
- The sausage rolls will release some fat as they cook. For this reason, I would recommend you transfer the cooked sausage rolls to a wire rack to cool.
- You may also find that some of the cheese and pear juice leaks out of the sausage rolls and turns black on the parchment paper. (See the final process shot above). Don't worry - this is perfectly normal and you can just pull this away from the sausage rolls when you transfer them to the wire rack.
Storage
Store cooked sausage rolls in a covered container in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for up to 4 days.
You can eat them either cold, or warm them in a hot oven for a few minutes. I would avoid warming the sausage rolls in the microwave as this will make the pastry soft and unappealing.
Freeze cooked sausage rolls in single layers in a suitable container for up to 3 months. Separate each layer with a sheet of baking parchment.
Allow the frozen sausage rolls to defrost then reheat them in a hot oven.
Serving suggestions
I like to serve these stilton, pear and walnut sausage rolls as part of a ploughman's platter with a hunk of cheese and a dish of chutney and/or pickled onions. Have you tried my 10-minute recipe for pickled red onions yet?
These sausage rolls taste great even when served plain, but you could add a spoonful of mustard to the plate for extra zing.
Because these sausage rolls are delicious when served cold, they are ideal for adding to a lunch box.
FAQ
Stilton is a type of English cheese known for its crumbly texture and strong, distinctive flavor. It's typically made from cow's milk and has blue veins running through it. Stilton adds a rich and tangy taste to dishes like sausage rolls, making them more flavorful.
You can substitute Stilton with other types of cheese if desired. Gorgonzola or Roquefort are good alternatives that also have a strong flavor profile similar to Stilton. However, keep in mind that the taste may vary slightly depending on the cheese you choose.
Save for later
If you would like to try these stilton, pear and walnut sausage rolls yourself, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
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📋The recipe
Stilton, pear and walnut sausage rolls.
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Cheese grater
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Baking tray
- Baking parchment
Ingredients
- 14 ounces / 400 grams pork sausage meat
- 2½ ounces / 75 grams Stilton cheese crumbled
- 2 ounces / 50 grams walnuts chopped
- 1 large Conference pear grated
- 1 small egg for egg-wash
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 11 ounces / 320 grams roll puff pastry
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F
- Place the sausage meat into a mixing bowl, and crumble the blue cheese on top.14 ounces / 400 grams pork sausage meat, 2½ ounces / 75 grams Stilton cheese
- Grate the pear, chop the walnuts finely and add them to the mixing bowl.2 ounces / 50 grams walnuts, 1 large Conference pear
- Now's the time to get your hands in! Mix everything together until well combined. If you prefer you can use a wooden spoon or a spatula.
- Roll out the sheet of puff pastry and cut it in half through the middle down the length.11 ounces / 320 grams roll puff pastry
- Divide the sausage mixture in half and form two long sausages down the middle of each half of the puff pastry. Brush one side of each length of pastry with beaten egg.1 small egg
- Fold the pastry over the roll of sausage meat, starting with the side without egg wash. You may have to stretch the pastry slightly. Bring the egg-washed edge up and over and seal the edges together. Don't worry if the join is a little uneven - we are going to bake the sausage rolls with the join underneath, so it won't show.
- Cut each roll in half and then divide each half into three sausage rolls. You should get 6 sausage rolls out of one roll, making 12 sausage rolls in total.
- Place the sausage rolls (join side down) on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and make 2 or 3 slits on top of each with a sharp knife.
- Brush each roll with beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with poppy seeds.1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- Bake in a preheated oven (190C / 375F) for 25 to 30 minutes until puffed up and golden brown.
Notes
- When crumbling the blue cheese onto the sausage meat, aim to get pieces of cheese roughly the size of a pea. This will ensure the cheese distributes evenly throughout the meat.
- Do not grate the pear before you are ready to add it to the mixture. Once pear is exposed to the air it will oxidise and turn brown very quickly.
- There is no need to peel the pear before grating it.
- If the pear is very juicy you may find that there is a fair bit of juice released when you grate the pear. Do not add this juice to the meat mixture or it will leech out as the sausage rolls bake.
- Chop the walnuts very finely - also about the size of a pea. Do not use a food processor to chop the walnuts or they may become too fine. A sharp knife is all you need.
- I find it easiest to use my hands to mix all the ingredients together. If you prefer you can use a spatula or wooden spoon, but do ensure that everything is well mixed.
- Once you have formed the sausage rolls, and cut them to size, they will be quite flat. If you roll them gently in your hand you can form them into more circular cylinder before placing them on the baking tray.
- Don't forget to eggwash the sausage rolls before baking!
- Check the sausage rolls after 25 minutes - if they are not quite done, leave them in the oven for a further 5 minutes.
- The sausage rolls will release some fat as they cook. For this reason, I would recommend you transfer the cooked sausage rolls to a wire rack to cool.
- You may also find that some of the cheese and pear juice leaks out of the sausage rolls and turns black on the parchment paper. Don't worry - this is perfectly normal and you can just pull this away from the sausage rolls when you transfer them to the wire rack.
- Store cooked sausage rolls in a covered container in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for up to 4 days.
- You can eat them either cold, or warm them in a hot oven for a few minutes. I would avoid warming the sausage rolls in the microwave as this will make the pastry soft and unappealing.
- Freeze cooked sausage rolls in single layers in a suitable container for up to 3 months. Separate each layer with a sheet of baking parchment.
- Allow the frozen sausage rolls to defrost then reheat them in a hot oven for a few minutes.
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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