Bacon And Bean Sausage Rolls

At this time of year I like to fill the freezer with a variety of sausage rolls ready to go for unexpected guests and sudden events that require a plate of nibbles.

There is something very comforting about a sausage roll served with a little tomato ketchup! I’ve already shared my other favourite recipes for sausage rolls but this is a new one for this year. Whether  you justify this as trying to get more pulses into the kids, flavour experiment or what’s available in the pantry and fridge, this is a winner!

I buy puff pastry that comes in sheets here, around 25cm square. Each sheet of pastry is protected by a sheet of plastic, this is what I then use to wrap the two long rolls that are made with one sheet. Frozen like this it’s easy to remove and defrost as large or small a quantity as you need.

This recipe makes 64 mini sausage rolls or 16 regular.

Ingredients

8 sheets puff pastry

750g rindless back bacon

1kg minced pork

425g tin of baked beans in tomato sauce

120g fresh breadcrumbs

1 onion

5 teaspoons dried sage

salt and pepper

1 egg, beaten

black sesame seeds to garnish

Method

Defrost the pastry at room temperature.

Process the bacon finely, followed by the onion and breadcrumbs.

Now, unless you have an enormous bowl, use a large tray with sides to mix the sausage.

Tip the bacon, onion, breadcrumbs, pork, sage and beans with sauce onto the tray.

Season very well with pepper and salt depending on the saltiness of your bacon.

Use your hands to really work everything through, trying not to crush the beans!

Divide the the sausage into 16 portions.

Form each portion into a long sausage the width of the sheet and line at the top or bottom of the pastry sheet.

Take a sharp knife and cut across the middle of the pastry and then paint this area with egg.

Roll the sausage in the pastry towards the cut to seal and then move it back to its original position.

Repeat with the remaining sausage on that sheet and then roll them towards each other, making sure the under plastic avoids them sticking to each other.

Repeat with the remaining rolls and place them in a large bag in the fridge for an hour.

If freezing them for a later date, label the bag and pop them into the freezer.

If cooking them, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade.

Brush the top of the sausage roll with the remaining egg and sprinkle over some sesame seeds.

Place on a lined baking sheet and bake, in batches for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

 

 

Bean and Cheese Chowder

This was one of the first soups that the boys would eat,  nothing beats the flavour of baked beans and cheese.

Check that your ingredients are gluten free if cooking for a coeliac, Worcestershire sauce is often not gluten free.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

50g butter

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

2 x 400g tins baked beans in tomato sauce

500mls chicken stock

250mls full cream milk

250g Cheddar, grated

60mls Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper

Method

In a large pan, melt the butter and add the onions.

Cook the onions until soft, add garlic and cook gently for 1 minute.

Add the baked beans and chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins.

Remove from the heat.

Using a stick blender, liquidize the soup.

Return the pan to the heat, add the milk, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.

Heat gently, stirring the cheese until melted.

Check seasoning and serve.

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