Stilton and red beans puff pastry rolls

The veggie version of a sausage roll… buttery, flaky, delicious

This indulgent stilton and red beans puff pastry rolls are great for a cheeky snack or in picnic season.

• SERVES: 10 – 12 rolls
• PREP TIME: 10 mins
• COOKING TIME: 35 mins
• DIFFICULTY: easy
• IDEAL FOR: snacks, meat-free, picnics
• BUDGET: £

Vegetarian sausage roll vs. meat sausage roll

This is another lovely recipe from Bold Beans.

We aren’t vegetarians and we do love a good sausage roll… check out the gigantic sausage roll here.

So, the mare suggestion to my husband that I was making veggie sausage rolls, had him confused and worried.

However, once the final saussie roll came out of the oven, he was delighted.

A triumph indeed.

That’s not to say, he wants to replace a good homemade meaty sausage roll.

But we are now allowed to mix things up a bit.

Stilton and red beans puff pastry rolls

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 x 400 g of red beans, drained (I’m not affiliated with Bold Beans but their red beans are lovely)
• 115g Stilton or a similar hard blue cheese
• A large handful of walnuts, finely chopped
• 2 tsp honey (optional)
• 500g rolled puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat.
3. Add the onions and cook for 8-10 minutes until starting to soften. If they start to catch, add a splash of water to the pan and mix well.
4. Add the sugar and balsamic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the thyme leaves and garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes until everything turns slightly sticky and caramelised.
5. Add the onions, garlic, thyme and red beans to a large mixing bowl and season with cracked black pepper. Get your hands in and scrunch the mixture well with your hands – you’re looking for a texture similar to sausage meat. Add the walnuts and crumble in half of the stilton and stir this into the mixture, being careful not to break the cheese up too much.
6. On a floured work surface, roll the pastry out into a big rectangle as thick as a pound coin and slice lengthways into two, long even rectangles. Divide the bean mixture into 2. Using your hands, mold into thick log shapes and lay along the centre of each rectangle. Dot the remaining cheese into the mixture, squidging some bits into the side as well as crumbling on top.
7. Brush the pastry with the whisked eggs, then fold one side of the pastry over, wrapping the filling inside. Press down with a fork to seal the join. Brush with the remaining egg wash and scatter over the sesame seeds and a few thyme leaves.
8. Cut the long rolls into the sizes you want and space them out on a baking tray. Bake for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden.
9. To finish, drizzle with some honey and tuck in.

For more snack ideas, visit here.