Sausage Pinwheels Crescent Cheese (Printer-Friendly Version)

Flaky crescent dough filled with sausage, cream cheese, cheddar, and red bell pepper for a savory snack.

# Required Ingredients:

→ Meat

01 - 227 g ground Italian sausage

→ Vegetables

02 - 120 ml finely chopped red bell pepper
03 - 3 cloves garlic, grated

→ Dairy

04 - 227 g cream cheese, softened
05 - 85 g sharp white cheddar, grated

→ Others

06 - 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 0.5 tsp kosher salt
08 - 2 cans (227 g each) crescent roll dough

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or fork, until crumbly and no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Stir in chopped red bell pepper and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a plate and let cool for 10 minutes.
02 - In a small bowl, mix softened cream cheese, grated sharp cheddar, grated garlic, and kosher salt until fully combined.
03 - On a clean work surface, unroll crescent dough and roll into a 33 cm x 13 cm rectangle. Pinch seams together on both sides to seal. Using an offset spatula, evenly spread the cheese mixture over the dough, leaving a 0.6 cm border on all sides. Evenly sprinkle the cooled sausage mixture over the cheese filling, gently pressing to adhere.
04 - Starting with the long side facing you, tightly roll the dough away from you into a log. Place the log seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 20 minutes to firm.
05 - Position oven racks in upper and lower thirds and preheat oven to 190°C. Remove chilled log from freezer and slice into 1.3 cm thick rounds. Arrange rounds cut side down on two parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each 3.8 to 5 cm apart.
06 - Bake pinwheels for approximately 20 minutes, rotating baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until dough is golden brown and puffed.

# Handy Cooking Tips:

01 - Keep crescent dough cold to prevent tearing and stickiness while handling. Allow the sausage mixture to cool before spreading to avoid melting the cheese and softening the dough. Use an offset spatula for spreading filling to maintain dough integrity.
02 - Pinwheels can be frozen pre-sliced for up to one week; thaw briefly before baking. Store baked pieces in an airtight container for up to three days.

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