Sausage Braid

You’ll feel like the star of the Great British Bake Off as you serve up this centerpiece-worthy sausage braid. With a hearty filling of sausage and veggies wrapped in gold, flaky pastry dough, a sausage braid gets points for balancing form and function. It’s show-stopping enough to make it a regular at holidays, but it’s tasty and filling enough to be a regular meal. It can look a little daunting but you’ll be using store-bought dough to cut down on prep. If you have kids, get them involved in the fun of completing the “braid.”

Sausage Braid Ingredients

• Pork sausage: The main filling ingredient, pork sausage, is juicy and packs flavor and protein. You’ll want to make sure it’s removed from the casing so you’re only using the meat. And make good use of any leftover pork sausage.
• Onion: This adds sweetness and savoriness to your filling. Opt for yellow or sweet onion.
• Celery: Celery provides some bitterness and texture to balance out the richness of the sausage.
• Green pepper: Green pepper brings herbal flavors and texture.
• Clove: This adds subtle depth and warmth to your filling. (We often love to sneak spices like clove and cinnamon into ground meat for just that reason.)
• Cream cheese: Cream cheese adds moisture, creaminess and a little bit of tang. It also helps the ingredients combine.
• Green onion: Green onions deliver a fresh, sharp flavor to balance out some of the richness. You can buy scallions if you can’t find green onions.
• Fresh parsley: Combined into the filling, parsley helps brighten the recipe and accentuate the other savory flavors.
• Crescent roll dough: This is what you’ll use for the pastry dough. You can use your brand of choice (or make your own crescent dough) for a soft, flaky and slightly sweet exterior.
• Egg: You’ll brush your pastry with an egg before baking to give it a golden-brown shine.

Directions

Step 1: Make the filling

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, cook the first five ingredients over medium heat and break up the sausage into crumbles. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender, about six to eight minutes and drain. Add the cream cheese, green onion and parsley. Cook and stir this over low heat until the cheese is melted.

Step 2: Create the braid

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Unroll the crescent dough onto a greased baking sheet. Roll into a 12×10-inch rectangle, pressing perforations to seal. Spoon the sausage mixture lengthwise down the center third of the rectangle. On each long side, cut 3/4-inch-wide strips that are 3 inches into the center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across the filling. Seal the ends. Brush with the egg.

Step 3: Bake your braid

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Add sesame seeds as an

Editor’s Tip: Let it rest before serving to reduce the likelihood of the filling leaking out.

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Sausage Braid Variations

• Add eggs: To really lean into the breakfast sausage braid aesthetic (or a breakfast-for-dinner aesthetic), you can add scrambled eggs to the filling (just make sure to reduce the amount of sausage so you don’t have too much filling.
• Get spicy: Consider adding red pepper flakes or a chopped hot pepper if you like a little more heat. Habanero or jalapeño would work well in the filling mixture.
• Go for fall flavors: Channel crisp air and crunchy leaves by using maple pork sausage, chopped apple and cranberries in your filling.
• Switch your dough: You can use pizza dough in place of the crescent roll dough.

How to Store Sausage Braid

You can store your sausage braid in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container. Fully cool before storing.

Can you freeze sausage braid?

Yes, you can freeze your crescent roll sausage braid. Thaw in the fridge.

Can you make a sausage braid ahead of time?

It’s best prepared warm. You can cut up your vegetables the night before to help speed up prep. And remember to thaw it in advance if your sausage is frozen!

Sausage Braid Tips

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Why is the bottom of my sausage braid soggy?

This can happen for several reasons. Start by making sure your oven is hot enough when you put the sausage braid in and that you’re baking it for long enough. You can also try cooling it on a wire rack after cooking so the moisture doesn’t get stuck beneath the pastry.

What goes well with sausage braid?

You can whip up some fruit salad and pour some cranberry mimosas if you’re serving it at brunch. If you’re having it for dinner, pair it with a simple, like a balsamic cucumber salad and some additional veggies, like roasted broccoli.

How should I serve my sausage braid?

Once your sausage braid is baked, we recommend cutting it with a serrated knife to keep it in the best shape.