Enjoy a sausage roll with a jalapeno and cheddar cheese twist
Beef sausage rolls, Texan-style is a different take on the classic.
SERVES: approx. 18
PREP TIME: 10 mins
COOKING TIME: 30 mins
DIFFICULTY: easy
IDEAL FOR: super snack, picnics
BUDGET: £
Beef sausage rolls, Texan-style
The family staycation is over.
And what a week!
We had 12 family members descend upon us down here in the South Hams.
It started off a little bizarre as we all did the Covid Lateral Flow Tests to make sure everyone was ‘covid-free’.
I don’t think anyone would have ever thought we’d be taking swabs before a family gathering starts.
But we did.
And we were all clear.
And the week together was fantastic.
Like many people around the world, we had not seen each other for 18 mths due to the global pandemic.
So last years staycation was cancelled because of it.
And 18 mths a part can mean big changes, especially when you’re talking about children who are growing up fast.
So, they all arrived and the house was full.
The weather was very hit and miss with bright sunny days followed by heavy rainy days.
But it didn’t matter, this lot enjoys cooking.
And boy did we cook… and eat!
Half the family can knock up great savoury dishes (I’ll include myself in that).
And the other half should be on The Great British Bake-Off making epic cakes and flans.
We took turns cooking and I was in charge of ‘Italian Day’.
It was raining so my plan was to entertain everyone by cooking lots of dishes all day.
Then sitting down and eating slowly as the Italians do.
Lots of food courses, wine, chat etc
But, who was I kidding?!
This family only made 55 mins of eating and all the dishes were gone!
(btw, I’ll be sharing my main course dish next week as it was a knockout dish, slow-cooked greatness.
But also check out other great Italian successes including Italian sausage & peas with taglierini and 3 super simple bruschetta starters)
Needless to say, one week of staycation has left half my wardrobe unwearable, #tootight.
And the thought of big meals this week was just too much.
Beef sausage rolls, Texan-style
After our family staycation, I needed simplicity.
And I needed ease.
The sausage roll ticks these boxes.
Not long ago, I posted the Gigantic sausage roll.
It’s a great one to knock up when you do have a lot of guests.
Simple, quick, looks great and feeds a crowd as a snack.
But that one is made with pork sausage meat.
Whereas these Texas-style sausage rolls are made from beef.
So, they are less fatty.
But by adding the cheese, it gives them that bit of fat needed to give it some moistness.
However, if I’m completely honest.
The next time I make these little gems, I think I’d go 80/20, beef pork.
I personally think the pork does give it a bit more of a boost.
Both in flavour and keeping it a bit moister.
But what I do love about this simple recipe, is the flavour combo.
Adding in jalapenos and cheddar cheese is genius.
The Texan’s love a bit of heat and this is perfect in a little sausage roll.
A cheesy, spicy little snack
This little puff pastry, buttery, encased cheesy, spicy beef snack will make your family smile.
It will also stop them from asking (me), when and what dinner is, while I scratch my head.
And scramble for something extremely easy to whip up this week, post-staycay.
Sausage roll tips
- You can make the sausage rolls in advance and freeze them before the baking stage. Then just pull them out as and when you need them.
- For super juicy rolls, use a blend of 80/20 beef – pork
- I cut the cheddar into small cubes so you get a hit of cheese. But you could grate the cheese in.
Enjoy!
Beef sausage rolls, Texan-style
Ingredients
- 1 kg beef mince (or go 80/20 i.e. 80% beef/20% pork mince)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup bread crumbs
- 4 jalapeno peppers, deseeded and chopped (or buy the jarred jalapenos)
- 170 g cheddar cheese, diced
- 1 tsp each of sea salt and ground pepper
- 350 g puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten (for the egg 'glue')
Instructions
- In a frying pan, with the oil and the onion and cook for approx 10mins or until softened, then let cool.
- Preheat an oven to 220C/375F
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the beef, cooled onions, bread crumbs, jalapeños, cheese, salt and pepper.Roll out your puff pastry on a light;y floured surface.Take your beef mix and form a log down the centre, then fold the pastry over the log on one side.Brush along the edge with egg mixture to create a “glue” for the other side to stick to and roll it so the beef mix is fully encased in pastry, and the edges line up on the egg line. Press the pastry lightly to ensure a good seal.
- Make sure the log seam is facing side down, then cut into 16-81 pieces. Place the pieces onto a sheet pan, then bake for 30 mins or until the pastry is golden brown. You may need to rotate the tray during baking to ensure even browning.Serve whrn they have cooled a little.
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