Healthy Sausage Rolls

pork sausage rolls with tomato sauce on a white plate.

4.74 from 19 votes

Kids will love these healthy sausage rolls made with pork mince and veggies! Encased in flaky puff pastry and filled with healthier ingredients, they make a classic Australian snack that can be enjoyed as a party food, in lunchboxes, or for an easy lunch or dinner. Delicious hot or cold, make them in batches to store in the freezer for busy weekdays!

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Appetizer, lunchbox, Main Course

Cuisine: Australian

Servings:

Calories: 148kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

For the filling

1 kg pork mince 2.2 lb
4 tbs olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 carrots peeled and finely grated (about 1 cup)
4 heaped tbsp tomato paste
⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp onion powder
3 tbsp garlic powder
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt or use less, if preferred.
½ tsp pepper
2 eggs

Plus

4 sheets puff pastry thawed at room temperature. Or swap for filo pastry or Mountain Bread (see notes).

To top

1 egg yolk lightly beaten
2 tbsp sesame seeds or poppy seeds, for decorating

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 200C°/390F (fan forced) and line two oven trays with baking paper.
In a large mixing bowl, add all of the filling ingredients and mix with your hands until completely combined.
Separate the pork filling into eight even portions.
Cut each sheet of puff pastry in half through the middle, making a total of eight rectangles of pastry.
Shape one portion of pork filling lengthways along the middle of each pastry portion. Shape the filling into a long sausage shape down the length of the pastry.
Roll the pastry to completely enclose the filling. Use a small amount of water or egg yolk to seal the seam/edges so that the pastry holds together while baking, or press/pinch the seal to close. Repeat for all of the pastry and filling portions.
Place the sausage rolls seam side down and brush the tops with the egg yolk. Sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds and cut each of the 8 rolls into 5 equal portions. (Making a total of 40 sausage rolls).
Place the sausage rolls onto the baking trays and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden and the filling is completely cooked through. Enjoy!

Notes

Puff pastry. Store-bought, frozen sheets of puff pastry are used here. But you can also make your own if preferred! Place the pastry sheets on the bench to thaw while you prepare the pork filling. It needs to be thawed so that it will wrap around the filling without breaking. Filo pastry can also be used. Or, in Australia, Mountain Bread can be substituted for puff pastry for a healthier option. In Australia, puff pastry comes in individual sheets that are 25cm x 25cm (10 x 10 “) squares. They need to be sliced in half so that there are eight 25 x 12.5cm pieces.
Carrots are used to add some vegetables, but you can also add equal quantities of grated zucchini, chopped spinach or a combination of all three. Note: if you do use zucchini, squeeze any excess liquid out to prevent a soggy pastry base.
While this recipe uses puff pastry, using Mountain Bread significantly reduces the calories and fat content. Filo pastry can also be used. 5-6 sheets of Mountain Bread are required, and you can use the whole sheet rather than slicing them in half. Divide the mixture between the mountain bread sheets and wrap around the filling to enclose. The baking times are the same as the puff pastry version. To re-heat, use an air fryer, oven or sandwich press to ensure the coating goes crisp again.
To make them gluten-free, swap the regular breadcrumbs and puff pastry for gluten-free.
Cooked sausage rolls can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. They can also be frozen either cooked or un-cooked for up to 3 months. Layer the sausage rolls between sheets of baking paper to prevent sticking.
Reheating sausage rolls. Pre-heat your oven to 180 C/356F and place them on a baking tray. Cook the sausage rolls for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through. Alternatively, you can use an air fryer to reheat them. Place the sausage rolls into the air fryer basket and heat at 160 C/320F for around 5-8 minutes, or until heated through.
To make ahead. The sausage rolls are best assembled, cut into pieces and then frozen or refrigerated un-baked. Place them into a good quality airtight container lined with baking paper in between each layer. Brush them with the egg just before baking. Bake from frozen for around 35-40 minutes, or from the fridge as per the instructions in the recipe card below. *Un-cooked sausage rolls will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days before cooking and can be frozen for 3 months.
Please note that the nutrition information is based on 40 serves, using puff pastry for the casing. Swapping the puff pastry for filo pastry or Mountain Bread will reduce the fat and calories. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not include any sauces or sides that you serve with the sausage rolls.

Nutrition