Fridge to Fork

Healthy Eats (plus a few treats)

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Sausage Pinwheels

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Sausage Pinwheels - Fridge to Fork

For this final week leading up to Christmas, we decided to share recipes that are personal for each of us — recipes that remind us of home. As each of you make your journeys home for the holidays, I’m sure you’re thinking of holidays past and special recipes your family makes each year. Maybe you make a big breakfast spread on Christmas morning, or order Chinese on the 25th every year. Or maybe, like my family, your grandmother has passed but her eggnog recipe still shines out like a beacon on Christmas Eve, reminding you all of her presence and legacy.

Mom’s Sausage Pinwheels

As someone who believes deeply in the lasting memories made in the kitchen or at a shared table (more about that here), no time is more sacred to me than Christmas. Tradition and nostalgia reign supreme during this season, and the food my family shares is a large symbol of that. Many of the appetizers my Aunts and cousins bring to our family gathering on Christmas Eve make their appearance year after year, having won out as a crowd favorite and cementing their place on the menu.

Sausage Pinwheels - Fridge to Fork

Mom spreading sausage on the pinwheel dough

On Christmas morning, we’ve eaten the same meal for as long as I can remember. While the Christmas tunes play and Dad tends the fire, mom heats up her infamous Ham & Cheese Quiche and Sausage Pinwheels. There’s always some fruit and sometimes some grits, but to me (and to my brother), the Sausage Pinwheels are the star of the show. Though not particularly challenging to make, they are time consuming, and years of watching mom make them in advance and freeze them for the big day has taught us they’re a labor of love. We only eat them on Christmas, and trust me, there are never any leftover. As I sit here and reflect, I’m sure that the pinwheels are in part so special simply because of the scarcity model – one day a year, and then they’re gone until the next.

Pinwheel logs wrapped in wax paper and ready for the fridge or freezer

Aside from scarcity though, these pinwheels really are just insanely delicious. They’re warm and crumbly, just crunchy enough, and the sausage has just enough spice. I could eat these with a cup of coffee all day long.

Mom has been making this recipe for over 30 years, since she and Dad were newly married. Though she can’t remember what cookbook the recipe originally came from, I’m thankful to whomever shared it with the world. I hope you’ll give the recipe a try yourself. Who knows – maybe it will become part of your own family tradition.

Sausage Pinwheels

Created by on December 21, 2017

  • Yield: 96 pinwheels (4 rolls of 24)

Ingredients

  • 4 c All-purpose flour
  • 1/4 c Cornmeal
  • 1/8 c Granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp. Baking powder
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 2/3 c Vegetable oil
  • 2/3 c Milk, plus 4 more tablespoons
  • 2 lb Hot pork sausage, ground

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Add in oil and blend using a hand mixer or stand mixer, followed by 2/3 cup of milk. Dough will be crumbly at first.
  2. With the mixer running, slowly add up to 4 tablespoons of additional milk one tablespoon at a time until a stiff dough is formed.
  3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two equal amounts. Set one half aside for now.
  4. Roll the other half of the dough out into a large rectangle, about 1/4 of an inch thick. Trim the edges of the dough neatly with a knife, and slice the dough lengthwise down the middle. You’ll now have two long rectangles.
  5. Using a knife, spread the sausage out in an even layer on top of the dough, leaving a 1/4 of an inch of uncovered dough on each side. Roll each rectangle of the dough up lengthwise, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill well, 4 hours or overnight. Repeat steps for the second half of the dough that you previously set aside. When complete, you’ll have four rolls.
  6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the log into pinwheels, about 1/4 of an inch thick. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy warm.

Did you make this recipe? If so, be sure to tag us on instagram @fridgetofork! We love to see your pictures!

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