The school which my children attend has a wonderful canteen that offers an extensive array of healthy and delicious lunch options. Though a couple of days ago when I stopped by to chat with the lovely lady who runs the canteen, she mentioned that there were 3 items on their menu that she would love to see removed, due to them being overly processed and shipped in, packed frozen in boxes ready for re-heating.
She asked whether I might help by coming up with a couple of home-made replacements that we could get the kids to sample over the next two weeks, with a view to adding them permanently to the menu when school goes back next year.
So this week, I’ve started playing around with a recipe for home-made Chicken Sausage Rolls, packed with a flavoursome range of veggies, to keep those dear little bodies and minds as healthy as possible. My fingers are crossed that the kids will all give them the thumbs up when we pass around some samples at lunchtime next week! I’ll be sure to let you know if they are a success… or if it’s back to the drawing board.
Chicken & Vegetable Sausage Rolls | Gather and Graze
- 1 Brown Onion
- 1-2 Cloves of Garlic
- 1 Leek
- 1 Medium Carrot
- 750g Free-Range Chicken Mince
- 70g/¾ Cup Dried Breadcrumbs
- 1 Free-Range Egg (lightly beaten)
- 2 Tablespoons Parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Mixed Herbs
- 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- Freshly Ground Pepper
- 4 Sheets of Puff Pastry
- Egg Wash (1 Free-Range Egg beaten together with 1 Tablespoon Milk)
- Sesame Seeds (optional)
In a food processor (or by hand), very finely chop the onion, garlic, carrot and leek. Place into a large mixing bowl with the chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, herbs and seasonings and mix until well combined. Separate mixture into roughly 6 portions.
Cut each sheet of puff pastry in half and using hands, form a long sausage of mixture lengthways down the middle of each piece of pastry. Roll the pastry around the sausage mixture and use a little egg wash to help seal the seam. Cut each roll into about 6 smaller rolls and then place them (seam-side down) on baking trays lined with baking paper/parchment. Allow the un-cooked sausage rolls to rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
At this stage, pre-heat your oven to 200°C.
Just before placing in the oven, cut a couple of slits in the top of each roll (to avoid filling bursting from each end) and brush with a little egg wash. Bake at 200ºC for the first 15 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 180°C for a further 15 minutes, or until golden brown and fully cooked through.
Cooking Notes:
- The onion, garlic and leek can be gently fried in a little olive oil and then cooled before adding to the rest of the ingredients. I find that this isn’t necessary if all vegetables are very finely chopped – a simple task with a food processor.
- A variety of other vegetables could be added to this recipe – I’ll be trying some grated zucchini/courgette next time in lieu of the leek.
- If the mixture feels too sticky, add another tablespoon or two of breadcrumbs.
Gather & Graze 