Sausage Crescent Rolls

Sausage crescent rolls take a pound of mild pork sausage and two cans of crescent dough and turn them into sixteen warm, golden rolls. Brown the sausage, let it cool, mix it with cream cheese and scallions, then roll a spoonful into each triangle of dough and bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. They work as a holiday breakfast, a party appetizer, or a weekend treat.

The filling is the only real cooking, and it can be made up to two days ahead. On the morning you need them, the rolls take about ten minutes to shape and fifteen to bake, which is why they turn up so often on Christmas morning and at brunches.

At a glance: makes 16 rolls. Prep 20 minutes, cook about 25 minutes, cooling 15 minutes, total about 1 hour.

Buy this cut

Pasture-Raised Pork Sausage - Mild

This recipe uses 1 pack of mild pork sausage, browned and mixed with cream cheese, for 16 crescent rolls.

Add 1 pack of mild pork sausage to cartView Product

Want beef in the freezer too? See the 1/8 beef share subscription.

Talking about gifts, and the people who are hardest to buy for, Gray Shipley, who runs the farm, said:

“there's a cut of meat that, that meets just about any need.”

Gray Shipley

He was talking about the farm store and gift-giving, not breakfast. A pack of mild sausage is about as everyday as meat gets, but it covers a lot of needs on its own: a holiday breakfast, a tray for a party, and a bag of rolls in the freezer for a busy morning, all from one skillet of filling.

Ingredients

• 1 pack mild pork sausage, about 1 pound
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar (optional)
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cans (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cook the sausage in a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbles, until browned with no pink left, 8 to 10 minutes. It should reach 160 degrees F. Drain it on a plate lined with paper towels.
3. Let the sausage cool for 10 minutes, then mix it in a bowl with the cream cheese, cheddar, scallions and pepper until evenly combined. Hot filling melts the dough, so do not skip the cooling.
4. Unroll the dough and separate it into 16 triangles. Put about 3 tablespoons of filling near the wide end of each, press it down lightly, and roll up toward the point. Set the rolls point side down on the sheets, 2 inches apart, and curve the ends into a crescent.
5. Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with the seasoning, if using.
6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, swapping and turning the sheets halfway through, until the rolls are deep golden on top and underneath.
7. Let them cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then serve warm.

Add 1 pack of mild pork sausage to cart

Sausage crescent rolls for a holiday breakfast

These earn their place on a holiday table because almost all the work happens the day before. Make the filling, cover it and refrigerate it. In the morning, heat the oven, shape the rolls while it heats, and they are out in time for coffee. Set them out with a bowl of fruit and a pan of scrambled eggs and breakfast is done. For planning the rest of the day, see the Christmas dinner guide below.

Make-ahead and freezing

The cooked filling keeps, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Shaped, unbaked rolls are best baked within an hour or two; left longer, the dough softens and loses some of its rise.

To freeze them, shape the rolls on a parchment-lined sheet, skip the egg wash, and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Move them to a labeled freezer bag. Bake from frozen at 375 degrees, brushing them with egg wash first, for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden and the filling is hot in the center, 165 degrees F on a thermometer. Baked leftovers keep in the fridge; reheat them on a sheet pan at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, until they reach 165 degrees F.

Crescent dough or puff pastry?

Crescent dough gives a soft, slightly sweet, bread-like roll, and it is the easiest to shape. Puff pastry gives a flakier, richer result. To use it, roll a thawed sheet into a rectangle about 10 by 14 inches, spread half the filling over it, leaving a 1/2-inch border on one long side, and roll it up from the other long side. Chill the log for 20 minutes, slice it into 1/2-inch rounds, and bake at 400 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes, until puffed and golden. Two sheets take the whole batch of filling.

Mild sausage, or a little heat

Mild sausage suits a crowd, especially when children are at the table. If you like some heat, add 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes or a finely chopped jalapeno to the filling, or set out a jar of pepper jelly or hot honey for dipping. Whatever you add, brown the sausage in small crumbles; big lumps make the rolls hard to shape. For more on cooking sausage on its own, see the guides below.

Food safety

USDA FSIS lists 160 degrees F as the safe minimum internal temperature for ground meats, including ground pork sausage. Check it with an instant-read thermometer before the sausage comes off the heat in step 2. Refrigerate leftovers promptly, and reheat them to 165 degrees F. See the FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart.