Do you know what croutes are? According to the French they are a pastry case, or a crust. My husband found this recipe, and requested that I make it. I am not sure he really knew what it was, but he saw it had a sausage filling, and that was enough for him. Turns out they are kind of like a savory hand pie. You can fill them with anything that you want!
I decided to put an Italian twist on mine. I filled the croutes with sausage, ricotta cheese, Mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, and some Parmesan. I know how my family likes to dip things in a sauce, so serving with with a little marinara sauce on the side seemed like the perfect idea. My guys loved these. My 8 year old ate 3 of them, and asked when I would be making them again.
You could really fill these with anything. The original recipe called for sausage, swiss cheese, horseradish, and mustard. There was also an all cheese version. You could fill them with roasted veggies, or ground beef and cheddar cheese. Really, the possibilities are endless. The recipe makes 30 croutes, we ate about half of them, and I froze the rest. You can just bring them to room temperature, and bake them in the oven to reheat and get them crisp again. Croutes would make fun appetizers at a party too.
Cheesey Sausage Croutes
Savory hand pies filled with Italian sausage and cheese.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup water, (120-130F)
- 1/2 cup butter, , softed
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbls sugar
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 2 1/4 tsp (1 envelope) active dry yeast
Filling
- 1 pound Italian sausage, , browned and drained
- 1 1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Topping
- 1 egg, , beaten
Instructions
- In the bowl for an electric mixer, combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add softened butter, and hot water. Mix with a paddle attachment until well combined (a couple minutes). Slowly add the remaining flour. Once the dough comes together, switch to a dough hook and continue on low speed for 5-7 minutes. Note - If you don't have a mixer, just knead the dough on a floured surface for 5 to 7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in lightly oiled bowl. Cover; let rise until dough tests ripe. About an hour.
- Meanwhile prepare the filling. In a bowl mix together cooked sausage with the rest of the ingredients. Stir until everything is mixed together. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Once the dough is ready, turn onto a floured surface, and punch it down. Divide into 6 pieces. Then divide each of those pieces into 5. You will have a total of 30 balls of dough (they will be about the size of a golf ball).
- Pat or roll each ball into a 4 inch circle. Fill with 1-2 Tbls of filling. Fold the circle in half and press to seal the edges. Use a fork to make sure everything is sealed tightly. Place on a greased or silpat lined baking sheet. Brush the top with the beaten egg.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with a side of marinara sauce for dipping
Notes
Adapted from Red Star Yeast
Nutrition Information
Yield
30Serving Size
30 ServingsAmount Per Serving Calories 165Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 29mgSodium 266mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 7g
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.
*Red Star Yeast has compensated me for the use of my photos on their site
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Meagan @ A Zesty Bite says
Oh these croutes look so good.
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says
I wish I could have an appetite to eat these!! Looks so good!
Shawn @ IWYD says
Ohh! These look delicious!! Perfect appetizer!
Emily @ Life on Food says
The horseradish version sounds marvelous too. It is always fun to eat dinner with your hands.
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
These look great! I love the idea of roasted veggies and some cheese! Yum Yum!
Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies says
Okay, I can really picture my family getting into this meal! Can’t wait to try it!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
Wow! These look so hearty and meaty, I love it. Perfect for game day!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Savory hand pies would make a perfect appetizer!
Tracey says
I’ve never heard of croutes before, but I’m all over a savory hand pie. Love the combination of ingredients you used in yours – I bet I could even convince my picky husband to eat them!
Suzanne says
Oh these look really yummy Erin, my family would really like these for snacking!
Lisa {AuthenticSuburbanGourmet} says
Loving these little bites of goodness! I actually did not have time tonight for dinner and I wish I had a few of these in front of me right now.
Erin @ Texanerin Baking says
Hahaha. I love that your husband found this recipe and requested you make it, solely based on the sausage. Nice! 😀
I would LOVE it if my husband would bring me recipe requests! I’m so so so sick of hearing, “I don’t care” when I ask what he’d like for dinner.
Jen Laceda @ Tartine and Apron Strings says
It’s so cute how your husband found the recipe and requested it! That means he thinks highly of your cooking skills! LOL! Kidding aside, this looks crazy delicious! You got me at “croute” – love anything that sounds French and fancy, but in fact, this is a homey recipe!
Renee @ Awesome on $20 says
These sound great! We love sausage rolls, and empanadas, and pasties, and pretty much anything wrapped in bread. You should do a Southwest version next.
Jennifer @ Not Your Momma's Cookie says
You can’t argue with a sausage filling 😉 YUM!
Jean says
Talk about the perfect party snack. These would be perfect for game day.
Nancy says
If I were to freeze some for later, do you think it would be best to freeze them baked or unbaked?
Erin S says
Nancy – I think you could do it either way. I would probably freeze them after they are baked (maybe under bake them by 5 minutes). Then when you reheat them in the oven they will finish baking.