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This holiday season, surprise your guests with this delicious Sausage Hand Pies Appetizers Recipe! It’s a savory baked meat pie made with Wright® Brand Bacon and Jimmy Dean® Refrigerated Roll Sausage—a pork lover’s dream!
This post has been sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
What’s better than sausage and bacon wrapped in a cocoon of pie dough?
If you answered “Nothing!” you and I are meant to be best friends and this Sausage Hand Pie Appetizer Recipe is for you!!
These hand pies are savory, semi-homemade, and baked. They will make your guests’ mouths water this holiday season!
Everything can be made ahead of time, so you only have to pop these savory hand pies in the oven for 15 minutes before serving them. And because they are so filling, they require no accompaniments.
This recipe is also versatile. If you prefer to make your own pie crust, I have a fool-proof recipe that you can make in the food processor.
If you prefer the convenience of store-bought pie dough, that works wonders too! For this recipe, I used refrigerated store-bought pie crust to show you how fast these sausage hand pies appetizers can come together.
You can even make these Sausage Hand Pies a couple months in advance and freeze them. Then, just bake them straight from the freezer when you need them.
Does it get any easier than that?
Wright® Brand Hickory Smoked Bacon and Jimmy Dean® Refrigerated Roll Sausage
I highly recommend that you use the Wright® Brand Bacon and Jimmy Dean® Roll Sausage in this recipe as it was created to blend these flavors to perfection. Any changes in ingredients, and your results may not be the same.
Wright® Brand Bacon is thick cut, hand-selected, and hand-trimmed. It is 100% wood smoked over hickory chips to give you the deliciously rich flavor of smoked bacon. You can learn more about Wright® Brand Bacon here.
Likewise, Jimmy Dean® Roll Sausage is so flavorful! It is made from high quality pork and seasoned with Jimmy Dean® signature seasonings. You can learn more about Jimmy Dean® Roll Sausage and other Jimmy Dean® products here.
Both products can be found at your local Safeway store in the Meat and Seafood section.
I love shopping at Safeway because it’s so convenient. I can order my groceries for pickup or delivery online using the Safeway app. First orders are free and receive a $20 discount.
Check out this brand page for more holiday recipes using Wright® Brand Bacon and Jimmy Dean® Roll Sausage!
How to Make Sausage Hand Pies Appetizers
These savory sausage hand pies are the perfect appetizers for your dinner parties this holiday season. And they are so easy to make. Here is what you need to know.
Thaw the store-bought pie crust
Take the pie crust out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before unrolling it to make it pliable.
If you make your own dough, make it ahead (up to 2 days before baking) and refrigerate to save time .
Cook the filling and cool it
The filling takes about 20 minutes to cook, and it’s so easy and delicious. It can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated.
It actually works best if it’s cold when you are filling the dough.
Tip: The filling should be moist with sauce, but it should not be runny. If you use Wright® Brand Bacon and Jimmy Dean® Roll Sausage, you will not have a problem. I have tested this recipe several times using these products and they were consistent in the amount of liquid they produce.
However, if you use other brands, your fat/liquid content may be different. In that case, make sure the fat is drained after cooking the sausage and before adding any additional ingredients.
Also, the salt content and taste might be different as well. That is why I recommend you use the Wright® Brand Bacon (Hickory flavor) and the Jimmy Dean® Roll Sausage (Regular).
Cut the dough into 3 inches circles
You can use a biscuit or cookie cutter, a pie press, or the wide open side of a drinking glass. Each store-bought pie roll should yield 7-8 mini hand pies.
You can make them larger (5 inches circles) if you want to save more time. This recipe should yield 16 5-inch pies.
Alternatively, you can cut the pies into circles, squares, or any other shapes you desire. Just use a cookie cutter.
Tip: stick with basic shapes if you are using store-bought pie crust because it’s flaky and will not hold precise shapes.
Fill the sausage hand pies and bake them
When you are ready to assemble the sausage hand pies appetizers, simply place a tablespoon of meat filling in the middle of the dough.
Fold the dough to make a semi-circle, and press the edges together to seal it.
If, for some reason, the edges are not sticking together, use some egg whites or water to seal the sausage hand pies. Dip your index finger in the water and brush it along the edge. Then, press it closed.
Tip 1: get creative on how you seal the edges. You can go simple by just pressing the dough down with your index finger to seal it, use a fork to make marks, or pinch it between your index finger and thumb.
Tip 2: put less filling than you think you should into each hand pie. It will be much easier to seal it if it’s not overstuffed and will help avoid leaks.
Bake for 15 minutes in the oven at 375 F. Depending on your oven, you might need to turn the baking sheet halfway to bake the hand pies evenly.
Sausage Hand Pies Appetizers Recipe
Ingredients
Sausage and Bacon Filling
- 4-6 slices of Wright® Brand Hickory Smoked Bacon
- 1/2 yellow onion diced small
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 1 lb Jimmy Dean® Roll Sausage (1 package)
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 20 kalamata olives pitted and diced small
- 4 oz tomato juice (1/2 cup)
- 3 packages of store bought pie crust (6 rolls total)
- 1 egg to brush on dough before baking (to egg wash)
- 1 tsp milk, cream or water (for egg wash)
Instructions
Cooking the Sausage and Bacon Pie Filling
- With kitchen shears or sharp kitchen knife, cut the bacon slices into small strips.
- Cook the small pieces of bacon until the fat is rendered over high heat.
- Add the sausage and cook until the meat is brown.
- Add the onions, garlic and spices and cook until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add tomato paste and olives and mix well. Cook for 3 minutes and remove from heat.
- Let it cool before filling the dough.
Assembling the Sausage Hand Pies
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Make the dough or bring the store bought pie dough to room temperature.
- Roll out dough and cut it into 15 circles, 3 inches around.
- Use a tablespoon to fill the dough and press the dough closed.
- Decorate the edges and place the hand pies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Combine egg and water to make an egg wash. Egg wash the hand pies and poke a small whole to vent on the dough.
- Bake it for 18-20 mins until golden brown. Check to see if the baking sheet needs to be turned aoround for even baking halfway.
- Remove from oven, place pies in cooling rack for 5 minutes and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Can you freeze sausage hand pies?
Yes! Just place unbaked, sealed hand pies in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place it in the freezer until frozen solid. Make sure the meat pies are not touching to avoid sticking. Once frozen, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place hand pies in a freezer bag.
When you are ready to bake, simply place frozen, unwrapped hand pies directly in the oven.
Frozen hand pies will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
How to you keep hand pies crispy?
To keep the baked hand pies crispy, just make sure to cool them before placing them in an airtight container to refrigerate. Any steam inside a closed container will make them soggy.
When you are ready to eat the hand pies once they’ve been refrigerated, reheat them using the oven at a warm setting (200 – 250 F for 5 minutes), not the microwave.
How far in advance can you make sausage hand pies appetizers?
You can make assemble the sausage hand pies and freeze it up to 3 months in advance of your gathering. (see notes above)
Freshly made, the savory filling will last up to 4 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container.
You can assemble the pies and refrigerate it up to 1 day in advance of baking it. Make sure to cover it tightly with plastic to avoid over-drying of the dough. Also, place parchment paper in between layers of hand pies to avoid sticking.
Should I refrigerate sausage hand pies?
Yes. If you have leftovers or if you are not ready to assemble or bake them.
What goes with sausage hand pies appetizers?
Hand pies are a great appetizer or main dish. If serving as an appetizer, you don’t need any sides.
If serving as a main dish, a side salad is the perfect side dish.
How long do hand pies last in the fridge?
Baked hand pies will last 4-5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Unbaked, they can be frozen and will last up to 3 months. (see instructions above)
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This website contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and participant in other programs, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
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