There’s something wonderfully Australian about settling in for the footy with a tray of homemade sausage rolls within easy reach.

These pork, apple and sage sausage rolls put a delicious twist on the classic game-day favourite. Juicy pork mince is combined with sweet apple, fragrant sage and thyme, while a little mustard seed adds a subtle savoury kick.

They’re easy to prepare, can be assembled ahead of time and are just as good served warm as they are at room temperature – making them ideal for a footy finals gathering. Over the next three days we will dish up three footy finals snack favorites for you to try.

Ingredients

1 leek, trimmed and finely diced
2 Royal Gala apples, peeled, cored and finely diced
6 fresh sage leaves, finely sliced
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
500g pork mince
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
500g puff pastry, thawed if frozen
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1–2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tomato sauce or your favourite relish, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced) and line two baking trays with baking paper.

Place the leek, apple, sage and thyme in a large bowl. Add the pork mince and mustard seeds, season with salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly with clean hands until well combined.

Place the pastry on a lightly floured work surface. If using one large sheet, roll it into a rectangle approximately 30cm x 34cm and cut in half lengthways. If using ready-rolled sheets, simply cut each sheet in half lengthways.

Divide the pork mixture between the pastry strips, shaping it into a long log down the centre of each strip.

Brush one long edge of the pastry with beaten egg. Roll the pastry over the filling, pressing the seam gently to seal.

Place the rolls seam-side down on the prepared trays. Brush the tops generously with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Cut each long roll into six smaller sausage rolls and score the tops lightly with a sharp knife.

Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden and the pork is cooked through.

Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving with tomato sauce or relish.

Footy finals tip

You can assemble these sausage rolls ahead of time and refrigerate them until you’re ready to bake. For even easier entertaining, freeze the uncooked sausage rolls, then thaw them in the refrigerator before baking.