Sausage Braid Recipe

As an adolescent in the Homet household, we were witness to a lot of hostessing. Monthly, my mom would host "Stamp Camp" at our house, and a party of around 8-12 women would come over on a Saturday morning to make the cards and crafts my mom had prepared and snack on some pretty classy breakfast treats. These breakfasts were one of the perks to having a mom who was a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. (Other perks included having access to TONS of craft supplies for school projects, passing out pretty bomb Valentine's Day cards to friends at school, and having the skills needed to be a professional card critic.) 

Jim, Laney and I (and probably dad too), would sneak into the kitchen on Stamp Camp mornings after the women had eaten and, like vultures, fill up our plastic tupperware plates with berries, Costco croissants, Bisquick coffee cake, and on especially wonderful Saturdays, slices of this sausage braid. 

It's creamy and full of meat and flavor and it goes fast. Here's a shot of it baking (and oozing...yum). 

I always double this recipe, so the following measurements will make 2 rolls. 

Start with 24 oz of pork sausage. I get the sausage with sage for that extra herb-y depth of flavor (thanks, Chopped, for the vocab). 

Brown the sausage in a large pot.

Add 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 cup green bell pepper, 1 cup onion, and 1/2 cup celery. (I didn't have celery for this batch, so I just cut up extra onion).

Add the vegetables to the sausage and continue cooking so that the onion becomes translucent.

Add 8oz of softened cream cheese. If you want the filling creamier, just add a little more cream cheese.

Add 4 tbsp of chopped green onions and 4 tbsp of chopped fresh parsley.

Stir everything together.

Take a tube of Crescent Rolls and roll it out into a large rectangle. (Pinch the perforated parts of the dough together.) You will do this twice, since the recipe is doubled. Place the dough on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Spoon half of the filling onto each dough rectangle. 

Slice the dough that is not covered in filling into strips that are angled in the same direction. (You will use these strips to create the braid in a minute.)

Fold the strips over the filling so that they overlap. These should look like a braid once you do the whole roll.

Create an egg wash by blending an egg with a tablespoon of water.

Brush the egg wash over the dough once it is all folded together.

Place in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

The top will be flaky and buttery and the filling is creamy and meaty and full of flavors from the vegetables and herbs.. I can't even explain how delicious this is. You must try it.

It's perfect for a party! (Or Stamp Camp, or Baby Shower, or potluck at work, or any day for any meal!)

|| Posted by Kate ||