Sausage Apple Puff Pastry Braid Recipe

This Sausage Apple Puff Pastry Braid Recipe is easier than it looks.

Sometimes recipes intimidate me. I’m just being honest. They do. Even though I spend a good amount of time in trying new recipes on a regular basis, there are those that I try to avoid. Maybe it has an ingredient that hasn’t been all to easy to deal with in the past (any recipe with “yeast” comes to mind) so I put it off for another day. But really … it’s a recipe. Ingredients do cost money, and, of course, time is money … I  know all of that, but in the end, it’s not a life on the line, or war and peace at hand, it’s a recipe. So, if there’s any aspect of life where I can throw caution to the wind, I’m thinking my kitchen is as safe and innocent as it gets.

This recipe for Sausage Apple Puff Pastry Braid may seem intimidating at first glance, but it’s really very simple. I’m not kidding. Once you learn how easy it is to work with pre-made puff pastry dough (making it from scratch is another story all-together), you’ll find your world open up to all kinds of fun in the kitchen. Even a Sausage Apple Puff Pastry Braid like this can become a go-to recipe for many occasions.

Sausage Apple Puff Pastry Braid RecipeSausage Apple Puff Pastry Braid Recipe

The filling is easy and basic and can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to fill the pastry. Substitute grilled or roasted shredded chicken for the sausage, or create a vegetarian version, by using more sliced mushrooms and/or additional chopped onions instead of the sausage.

As I mentioned, the filling can be made ahead. Pre-made puff pastry dough needs thaw time, so if trying to prep this recipe ahead, perhaps for a festive brunch, or appetizer, the dough can be thawing in the refrigerator overnight, while the filling chills.

Sausage Apple Puff Pastry Braid Recipe

Sausage Apple Puff Pastry Braid Recipe

Sausage Apple Puff Pastry Braid Recipe

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

A simple recipe perfect for a party appetizer, brunch, lunch or dinner main dish.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs, divided
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
  • 1 cup chopped apple
  • 1 cup soft bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, or dried cherries
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions, 1/2 of 17.3 ounce package

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly flour. Beat 1 of the eggs and water in small bowl. Set aside.
  2. Mix remaining egg, sausage, apple, bread crumbs, cranberries, onion, rosemary and cinnamon in large bowl until well blended.
  3. Carefully unfold puff pastry and place on lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut lengthwise into 2 rectangles. Create strips by making 1 1/2-inch long cuts 1 inch apart down both long sides of each pastry rectangle.
  4. Spoon 1/2 of the sausage mixture down center of each pastry rectangle.
  5. Fold 1 pastry strip at a time over the sausage mixture, alternating sides, overlapping the prior strip to enclose sausage mixture.
  6. Lightly brush braided pastry with beaten egg and water mixture.
  7. Bake 35 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and sausage is cooked through. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Cut each pastry into 6 pieces to serve.

Notes

Create a meatless option by substituting 8 ounces sliced mushrooms and/or additional chopped onion for the ground sausage.

To prep a bit ahead of time, combine filling mixture, cover and refrigerate until ready to fill puff pastry.

Recipe discovered at McCormick.

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Sausage Apple Puff Pastry Braid Recipe