These sausage cream cheese crescent rolls make perfect party appetizers. Or a delicious breakfast treat!
They’re ridiculously addictive, and one bite will get you hooked forever.
Imagine flaky, buttery crescent rolls filled with a meaty, creamy, cheesy delight.
And they only take 4 basic ingredients and 20 minutes to whip up.
Insanely delicious, affordable, and easy to make: it’s everything you can ask for in a recipe.
Are you ready for a flaky, savory, cheesy delight? Then let’s make some sausage cream cheese crescent rolls.
Sausage Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls
These sausage cream cheese crescent rolls are the perfect party appetizer (or breakfast on the go).
You’ll use store-bought crescent dough, so you know it’s easy peasy.
Meanwhile, the filling is a quick blend of cream cheese, sausage crumbles, and cheddar cheese.
It’s undeniably meaty, creamy, and loaded with savory goodness.
Once baked, the dough turns into golden, crispy, and flaky pastries, while the filling gets nice and melty.
Together, they create a beautiful harmony of flavors and textures.
How to Make Easy Crescent Rolls
Have 20 minutes? Let’s do this.
Prep. Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the Filling. Stir together sausage crumbles, softened cream cheese, and shredded cheese.
Prep the Pastry. Roll out the crescent roll and separate them into triangles. Cut the triangles in half, lengthwise.
Assemble the Rolls. Spoon a tablespoon of filling on the wide end of the triangle. Roll up the dough, starting with the thick end, ending with the pointy end on top.
Bake the Rolls. Just for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
Enjoy!
Is Ground Pork the Same as Sausage?
Not necessarily. While ground sausage is a type of ground pork, not all ground pork is ground sausage.
Basically, ground pork is just that – ground-up pork. Meanwhile, ground sausage is a sausage that’s been finely chopped or ground.
Tips for Making the Best Crescent Rolls
Keep these tips in mind when making these sausage rolls:
- Use high-quality sausage. I prefer Jimmy Dean sausage because it’s my favorite. Feel free to use your preferred brand. You can also choose between beef, pork, and turkey!
- Tips for cooking the sausage. Brown it in a skillet for 5 to 7 minutes. For an easier alternative, microwave it on high for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it’s no longer pink inside.
- Drain the fat. This step is imperative. Do NOT forget to drain the fat from the sausage. If you add it (fat and all) to the cream cheese, the filling will be too runny.
- Smaller is better. Because the sausage is part of the filling, you want small chunks. They’ll make mixing the ingredients together easier. The easiest way to get them is to pulse the sausage in a blender or food processor.
- Slice with a pizza cutter. It’ll do a much better job of cutting the crescent rolls than a knife.
- Use a cookie scoop. A cookie scoop for sausage rolls? What?! Seriously, though. A cookie scoop will ensure you add the same amount of filling to each crescent roll.
- Placement is key. Add the filling to the thicker end of the pastry. Roll the pastry up starting from the thick end, ending with the pointy end on top.
Variations
Here are a few variations to try, as well:
- Make them dairy-free. Skip the cheddar and use dairy-free cream cheese.
- Vegetarian-friendly rolls. Make the filling vegetarian by sautéing diced mushrooms and veggies, such as bell peppers and onions.
- A healthier alternative. Use low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat crescent rolls. They’ll be just as decadent, but with fewer calories.
- Customize them! The recipe is already a showstopper, but you can jazz it up any way you like. Raid the fridge and add veggies, more cheese, and crumbled meat into the filling. Swap the cheddar for pepper jack, Monterey, or another variety.
- Add a little heat. Simply use jalapeno cream cheese. Other cream cheese flavors, like onion and chive and garlic herb, work great, too. You can also use spicy sausage for the filling.
- Breakfast, anyone? For more substance, throw in scrambled eggs, bacon crumbles, green chiles, and spinach leaves. It’s a complete breakfast all-in-one.
How to Store Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls
These crescent rolls last 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Place the leftover rolls in an air-tight container and refrigerate.
Warm them in the microwave or the toaster oven.
These rolls also keep well in the freezer. Let them cool completely and freeze on a baking sheet for 1 to 2 hours, or until frozen.
(Read my post on freezing cream cheese so they thaw right.)
Transfer them into a freezer-safe bag. Squeeze out as much excess air as possible, and seal. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes on low power.
More Crescent Roll Recipes You’ll Love
Sausage Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls
8
servings20
minutes15
minutesSausage Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls are made with just 4 ingredients! These flaky crescent pastries make the perfect party appetizer or breakfast treat.
Ingredients
16 ounces sausage, cooked and crumbled
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the sausage crumbles, softened cream cheese, and shredded cheese.
- Roll out the crescent roll and separate into triangles. Cut each triangle in half, lengthwise.
- Spoon a tablespoon of the sausage mixture onto each roll. Roll up the dough starting with the thick end. Place the crescent rolls on the lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve and enjoy!
Why is there no printable version?
Hi Pamela, if you scroll down to the recipe card, you’ll see the option to print on the photo. Just click that button, and it will print the recipe for you!
I make a savory and a sweet grab and go snack every week for my busy teenager to grab on his way out the door in the am and found this recipe looking for something new. Sooooo easy and so yummy! Worth the time to cut the croissant triangles in half. They are adorable and pop-able! I used precooked turkey breakfast sausage (about 12) from Costco and buzzed them in the food processor to a perfect crumble. Also brushed with an egg wash before baking to create that perfect sheen. Def going in the morning grab rotation! Awesome!
Hi Erika!
So happy you liked the recipe.
And great tip on the turkey breakfast sausage! I’ll have to try that next time 🙂
Can I assemble these appetizers in the morning, refrigerate and bake in the evening?
Hi Laurie, yes! You can definitely make these ahead of time. Enjoy!
Can you make these the night before, not cooking them but fix them in the crescent rolls. Then cook them the next morning
Hi Kathy, yes, you can make them the night before! Place the assembled, unbaked crescent rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can do this the night before or a few hours before you plan to bake them.
Remove the rolls from the refrigerator, discard the plastic wrap, and bake as directed until golden brown.
Can I freeze half of the cream cheese and sausage to use later ?
Hi Melissa!
I don’t usually recommend freezing dairy products as they tend to split/turn watery after thawing.
That makes it grainy, which isn’t super pleasant.
Having said that, you can transfer the leftovers to a freezer bag and press out the excess air. It should be okay up to about 2 months.
Thaw it in the fridge overnight then mix it well with a spatula before use.
Since you’re cooking it inside the rolls and with the sausage in the mix, you probably won’t notice any changes in texture.
But do keep in mind, it likely won’t be the same as fresh.
My recommendation would be to freeze the extra sausage separately if you cooked a lot, then mix it into fresh cream cheese when you need it.
Hope this helps!
I’m a little confused….shouldn’t this be 16 servings? Especially if you cut the triangle in half and make two servings for each triangle? There are 8 triangles crescent rolls in each package.
Hi Adrianne!
It’s 8 servings, assuming each person has four (since they’re pretty small)