Sausage Pumpkin Pinwheels Appetizers - an excellent recipe for parties or potlucks around the holidays.
Easy to make, this recipe uses just a few ingredients, like puff pastry, sausages, pumpkin puree, cheese, and green onions. Delicious and perfect! Enjoy!
This recipe is part of my collection of recipes for the holidays. Check out this collection of Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes, or Thanksgiving and Christmas Turkey Recipes, as there is something for everyone. For dessert, check this collection of Thanksgiving Pies And Tarts.
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💝Why you will love this recipe
This appetizer recipe is excellent for a party, but you can make them anytime you want a snack. Store bought puff pastry simplifies the cooking process and allows you to make the recipe in less than an hour.
I like making them around the holidays and use leftover pumpkin puree from other recipes. I made them for the Friday night dinner after Thanksgiving, then served and watched them disappear from the plate. "Delicious!" said everyone!
📝 Ingredients
Here is a list of the main ingredients to use in this recipe with possible substitutions. However, make sure to check out the recipe card for full list of ingredients and instructions.
- Puff pastry: We will use frozen puff pastry sheets, defrosted according to the instructions on the box.
- Sausage: Mild Italian sausage is what I like to use, but you can use any sausage you have or want.
- Pumpkin puree: You do not need an entire can of pumpkin puree, but you can use leftover pumpkin puree from other recipes. (Check out this
- Cheese: You need a melting cheese like Cheddar cheese, Cheddar, Gruyere, Mozzarella, Fontina, Provolone, etc.
- Green onions: We use green onions to bring color, flavor, and texture to the pinwheels.
👩🍳 How to make
Step 1. Preheat the oven.
Step 2. Prepare the baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Step 3. Cook the sausage. You can peel the casing and cook the sausage meat until crumbly or dice it and cook it like that. Remove the sausage from the pan and drain it on paper towels.
Step 4. Flour the working surface and unroll the puff pastry.
Step 5. Spread each puff pastry sheet with equal amounts of pumpkin puree. Sprinkle the cooked sausage, chopped green onions, and shredded cheese.
Step 6. Roll each puff pastry into a log.
Seal the seams so the filling doesn't come out. Cut the logs into 12 slices each.
Tip: After rolling the pastry into a log, chilling it in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes makes slicing cleaner and easier.
Step 7. Place the pinwheels on the baking sheet with some space in between and bake until lightly browned.
Allow them to cool before you serve them.
💡 Expert tip
Balancing Filling Distribution: Spread the pumpkin puree, sausage, cheese, and green onions evenly across the pastry. This ensures every bite has a balanced mix of flavors.
🍽️ What to serve with these sausage pinwheels
- Cheese Platter: A cheese platter with a variety of cheeses, crackers, and some fruit like grapes or slices of pear can pair nicely with the pinwheels.
- Vegetable Crudité: A fresh vegetable platter with a light dip can provide a refreshing contrast to the rich, savory flavor of the pinwheels.
- Soup or Salad: A light soup, like a butternut squash soup, or a fresh salad can be a great starter alongside the pinwheels, especially for a sit-down gathering.
- Thanksgiving meal: Make it part of the Thanksgiving meal next to this Easy Baked Pumpkin Mac And Cheese, or these Traditional Cheesy Potatoes.
More recipes to enjoy for the holidays:
Vegetarian Wild Rice And Mushroom Stuffing
Easy Sausage, Cranberries, and Walnuts Stuffing
Scalloped Corn With Vegetables
🙋♀️ Recipe faqs
Yes, you can. Assemble them the night before and refrigerate them in an airtight container until you are ready to bake them.
You can freeze them either baked or unbaked. For unbaked pinwheels, freeze them on a baking sheet first and then transfer to a freezer bag. For baked ones, let them cool completely before freezing.
For unbaked frozen pinwheels, you don't need to thaw them. Just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time. For baked ones, thaw them in the fridge and then reheat in the oven until warm.
Once baked, they're best enjoyed within a day or two. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!
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📖 Recipe
Sausage Pumpkin Pinwheels Appetizers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box frozen puff pastry sheets defrosted according to the instructions(17.25oz)
- 3 ounces mild Italian sausage or any favorite one uncooked
- 7 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1 cup shredded melting cheese like Cheddar Gruyere, Mozzarella, Fontina, Provolone
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped green onion
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set it aside.
- Cut the sausage into small pieces and cook it in a small pan over medium heat, stirring until browned for approximately 5 minutes. Let drain on a paper towel and set it aside.
- Lightly flour the table and unroll the puff pastry sheets.
- Spread each sheet with pumpkin puree. Sprinkle the sausage over the pumpkin puree, and add cheese and green onions. Gently press the ingredients into the pastry.
- Roll each sheet like a log, ensuring the seams are sealed. Cut the log into 12 slices.
- Place each pinwheel on the baking sheet leaving about 2 inches between each piece. Bake them at 375F for about 17-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Let them slightly cool before serving.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Tip: Assemble the pinwheels a day ahead and refrigerate. Bake fresh when needed.
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze unbaked pinwheels on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve warm.
- Substitution: Vegetarian sausage can be used for a meat-free version.
- Cheese Variations: Feel free to experiment with different types of melting cheeses to find your favorite flavor combination.
Nutrition
This article was published in 2016 and updated with new images and content on November 2023.
Lydia says
Just took these to a party and they were a huge hit. Will definitely be saving this recipe for when I need a delicious and easy appetizer!