Cheese & Onion Rolls with Puff Pastry

These easy Cheese & Onion Rolls are almost as common on a British buffet as their sausage cousins! Using fluffy potato as a base and packed with onion and tasty cheese, they really are a delicious veggie puff pastry snack. Air fryer and oven instructions included for extra ease!

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More Sausage Roll Recipes

You can now find all of my sausage roll recipes in one place. Plus I’ve included a few extra bonus sausage based recipes too!

If you’re looking for veggie and vegan options, doesn’t worry, they’re included too!

Be Flexible

Of course choosing the cheese you prefer to use will instantly transform this recipe into whatever you want it to be. But there are some other ways to add to the recipe too. Adding herbs and other flavourings is the first port of call.

I’d start by thinking about herbs. More sturdy herbs like thyme, rosemary or oregano can be added to the onions midway through cooking. Or lighter herbs like parsley or coriander can be added into the filling mixture along with the cheese.

I’ve used mustard powder as a base flavour. You should consider whether this will be a complementary flavour to the herbs you’re adding. If not, you can omit it entirely or consider using different mustards instead – dijon will be more mild and wholegrain would add texture as well as deep flavour.

You can spice things up by adding finely chopped chillies or dried chilli flakes to the onions.

Whilst this is a naturally vegetarian recipe (although it does depend on the cheese), nothing is stopping you from changing that. Bacon is always going to be my natural go-to when pairing with cheese. Air frying some streaky bacon then chopping it finely would be my suggestion. Make sure it is fully cool before stirring it into the potato with the cheese.

Vegetarian or Vegan Cheese & Onion Rolls

To ensure that these cheese & onion rolls are vegetarian, you need to make sure that the cheese or cheeses you are using are suitable for vegetarians. Some cheeses like proper parmesan are made using animal rennet so it is always worth double checking.

To make the rolls vegan, you will of course need to use plant based cheese substitutes. I am not an aficionado of these sorts of products but I am told that there are much better options, including many that melt than there used to be.

If using commercially bought puff pastry, as long as you avoid the “all butter” options, they will most likely be accidently vegan. The egg is a little harder to replace. There are liquid vegan egg substitutes on the market and this would probably be my first choice to use. This is more important in terms of acting as a binder in the filling. For sticking and egg washing the pastry, you can use any plant based milk or cream.

Make Allergy Friendly Cheese & Onion Rolls

This recipe is free from nuts.

Gluten Free: There are three ingredients that should be considered in this recipe. The first is of course the pastry. Gluten free ready-rolled or block puff pastry is fairly easy to find in UK supermarkets and tends to be a fairly good product.

The second is grated cheese. Most will use something like potato starch to keep the pieces of cheese separated. But it is possible that some could use wheat flour. So it is best to check. Lastly, on occasion mustard can contain gluten. Colman’s English Mustard powder is gluten free but again, it is best to check if using prepared mustard or alternative powders.

Dairy Free: Switch the butter for olive or vegetable oil when cooking the onions. Make sure that the pastry you are using doesn’t contain butter. And then of course you will need to use dairy free cheese. As with my advice for a vegan option above, you may need to experiment to find the best melty and tasting options.

Egg Free: The egg wash is easy to replace with milk or cream. But the egg which acts as a binder in the filling is more difficult. A vegan egg liquid egg replacer should the the best option if you can find some.

Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

Get Ahead

If you’re making your own puff pastry, you can make this a day or two in advance. Or have it frozen for much longer.

You can also make the potato/cheese filling a couple of days before you need to use it. Or again, it will freeze for longer. If freezing, I would recommend shaping it into sausage shapes before freezing. You can wrap it in clingfilm then put into an airtight container or freezer bag. This way once it defrosts, it can be added directly to the pastry.

You can also entirely make the rolls but not bake them. They will keep for a couple of days in the fridge if well covered. Just put them in the oven when you want to bake. Or look at my guide to air frying sausage rolls – use these cooking instructions for the air fryer if you prefer. This is a great way to cook just a few at a time so they’re fresh.

You can also freeze the uncooked but fully assembled rolls. Free freeze them on a tray. Once fully frozen, you can transfer them to a bag or airtight container so they take up less room. If you skip the free freezing step, they will most likely just stick together in a clump.

Leftover Cheese & Onion Rolls

Any leftover rolls can be stored for several days in an airtight container. They can be eaten cold or reheated in the microwave although this will give you slightly soggy pastry. For a crispier outcome, you can reheat them in the oven. Or my favourite way is to air fry them. You don’t need to wait for the oven to preheat and they’re piping hot in only a few minutes.

You can also freeze the cooked cheese and onion rolls. They’re ready to eat as soon as they’re defrosted or you can reheat them from frozen in the same way as above.

Tips for Puff Pastry Cheese and Onion Rolls

Keeping the potato mixture on the dry side is of most importance. The filling is inclined to seep out the pastry and the dryer it is, the less this will happen.

Sealing the rolls properly underneath is another good way to make sure that the pastry doesn’t give the filling extra opportunity to spill out. So whilst it is easy to rush this step, it is worth spending the time.

Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?

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The Recipe

Cheese & Onion Rolls with Puff Pastry Recipe

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These easy Cheese & Onion Rolls are almost as common on a British buffet as their sausage cousins! Using fluffy potato as a base and packed with onion and tasty cheese, they really are a delicious veggie puff pastry snack. Air fryer and oven instructions included for extra ease!

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Cooling Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 16

Author Chloe

Equipment

• Microwave
• Mixing Bowl – Medium
• Measuring Scales
• Measuring Spoons
• Sharp Knife – Large
• Silicone Pastry Brush
• Chopping Board – Small Plastic
• Baking Tray – Large

Ingredients

 

MetricUSA Measurements

 

0.5x1x2x4x

• 500 g Potatoes
• 200 g Onion
• 1 tbsp Salted Butter
• 1 tsp Sea Salt Flakes - split
• 275 g Grated Cheese (Shredded Cheese) - split
• 1 ½ tsp English Mustard Powder
• 320 g Puff Pastry
• 1 Egg - reserve around ¼ for glazing

OR

• 25 g Instant Potato Powder
• 250 ml Boiling Water

OR

• 250 g Cooked Mashed Potato - without significant butter/milk/cream

Instructions

 

• Poke 500g Potatos with a fork and microwave on a microwave safe plate or bowl until soft – around 5 to 8 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.
  
• Once cooked, cut each potato in half then scoop out the cooked flesh. You want to end up with around 250g Mashed Potato. You may have a little spare depending on the size of your potatoes.
  
• Give it a mix to break up any lumps then allow it to cool spread out on a plate.
  
• Alternatively make up instant mash with 25g Instant Potato Powder and 250ml Boiling Water. Allow it to cool.
• Meanwhile, finely dice 200g Onion.
  
• Add the onion to a microwaveable bowl along with 1 tbsp Salted Butter and ½ tsp Sea Salt Flakes.
  
• Cook the diced onion in the microwave for 5 minutes – give them a stir a couple of times during cooking. They will be softened but not cooked through – you want to retain some bite. Set aside to cool.
  
• Once the potato and onions are cool, preheat the oven to 200c fan | 220c | 390c or equivalent.
• Mix the potato and onion mix together then add 250g Grated Cheese, 1½ tsp English Mustard Powder and ½ tsp Sea Salt Flakes.
• Crack and beat 1 Egg then add the majority to the potato cheese mix. Reserve around ¼ to glaze the rolls.
  
• Mix everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

  If the filling isn't totally cool by this point, put it in the fridge until cool. It doesn't need to be chilled, just not warm.
  
• Roll 320g Puff Pastry out on a floured surface to about ¼ inch thickness. Or unroll a sheet of ready rolled pastry.
• Cut the sheet into half lengthways with a sharp knife.
  
• Split the potato mixture roughly in half and then in half again. Form a quarter of the filling into a sausage shape half the length of each pastry strip. Using wet hands will help with this.
• Place the filling around ⅔ of the way along the pastry strip.
  
• Repeat with the remaining 3 quarters of the filling. Make sure the filling reaches from end to end and is of roughly equal thickness all the way along.
  
• Use a pastry brush to cover the smaller side of exposed pastry with a little of the reserved egg.
  
• Start to roll the pastry around the filling starting with the egg free pastry. Keep the pastry nice and tight to the filling.
  
• Continue to roll until the filling is totally enclosed. Wet your finger a little and gently press along with pastry seam – this will allow the pastry to meld together and reduce the likelihood of the pastry coming apart as it cooks.
  
• Use the same sharp knife to cut the end off of each roll to neaten it up if needed. Cut each roll into half, then half again and then half again to end up with 16 rolls.

  Note – Use the knife to saw rather than press down or you will squash the rolls. Wipe the knife in between each cut. Don't forget not to press too hard.
• Move each roll to a lined baking tray, seam side down. Make sure the rolls each have ample room to expand.
  
• Generously egg wash the top and sides of each roll. Make sure to not wash the exposed ends or filling.
  
• Sprinkle over roughly 25g Grated Cheese. Try to pile a little onto each roll or you’ll end up wasting a load on the baking tray.
  
• Bake for 15 minutes until light golden brown. They may need slightly longer depending on your oven. Use your eyes and judgement. If your oven does not cook evenly, turn the tray midway through cooking.
  
• Allow to cool a little before tucking in!

TO AIR FRY (SEE NOTES SECTION FOR MORE GUIDANCE)

• Prepare the rolls per the oven instructions but apply the egg wash and extra cheese without moving them to a tray.
• Preheat your air fryer if your version requires you to.
• Once hot, remove the basket and lightly grease using an oil spray (not fry light) or brush on some oil. Be careful because the basket will now be hot.
• Use tongs to carefully place the rolls into the basket. Make sure to leave enough room for the rolls to puff up.
  
• Cook for 15 minutes at 180c/350f.
• Remove the rolls from the basket to a cooling rack then continue to cook the remaining rolls in as many batches as you need.
  

Notes

• The air fryer version of this recipe is tested in a Corsori Lite (‎CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal.
• Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
• For this recipe, I can fit 6 cheese and onion rolls in the basket at a time. The fit is quite snug. For the recipe as written, this means that I need to cook the rolls in 3 batches.
• As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time. Some models include stacking shelves which will increase capacity.
• Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.

Nutrition (Approx)

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 210IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 1mg

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