Description
Sausage Pinwheels are a delicious and savory appetizer featuring a flavorful blend of browned breakfast sausage, cream cheese, cheddar, and green onions wrapped in crescent roll dough. Baked to golden perfection, these pinwheels are perfect for parties, brunches, or snack time.
Ingredients
Scale
Sausage Mixture
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound ground breakfast sausage
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Dough and Topping
- 1 can crescent roll dough seamless sheet, not precut
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 3 tablespoons green onion minced
Instructions
- Heat oil and garlic: In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until hot and shimmering. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it starts to develop a light golden color.
- Cook sausage and mix: Add the ground breakfast sausage to the garlic and sauté until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain excess oil and transfer the sausage to a mixing bowl. Mix in the cream cheese until well combined. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Refrigerate the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes to cool to room temperature.
- Prepare dough: Lay out a large rectangle of plastic wrap on the counter or a cutting board. Unroll the crescent roll dough sheet onto the middle of the plastic wrap.
- Assemble pinwheels: Spread the cooled sausage mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a ½ inch strip along one long edge to seal later. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese and minced green onion evenly over the sausage layer.
- Roll and seal: Use the plastic wrap to help roll the dough tightly from the long edge into a log shape. Moisten the exposed dough strip with water and pinch to seal the seam completely. Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap.
- Chill the log: Place the wrapped log in the freezer for about 20 minutes until firm enough to slice cleanly.
- Preheat oven: While chilling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice and arrange: Once firm, unwrap the log and cut it into 8 equal slices. Place the pinwheels on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them to allow for expansion.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 17 minutes until the pinwheels are puffed and golden brown.
Notes
- Use a seamless crescent roll dough sheet for easier rolling; avoid precut rolls that will break apart.
- The seasoning amounts can be adjusted depending on the sausage's saltiness.
- Chilling the rolled dough log helps achieve clean slices and prevents filling from squeezing out.
- Allow pinwheels to cool slightly before serving to avoid burns from hot filling.
- For extra flavor, add herbs like parsley or smoked paprika to the sausage mixture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pinwheel
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
