Sarah Butler: How to make two family-friendly meals with sausages

Irish Examiner

24-05-2025

Sausages are a staple in many households —hearty, comforting, and endlessly versatile. Whether baked, grilled, or pan-fried, they provide a rich, savoury base for countless family-friendly meals. In these two recipes, sausages take centre stage in delicious, practical ways perfect for busy lifestyles.
The Sweet and Sticky Sausages recipe transforms everyday ingredients into a flavour-packed sandwich, pairing juicy pork sausages with a rich caramelised onion glaze and a tangy homemade sauce — all tucked into a crusty roll. It's quick to prepare, ideal for lunch, dinner, or even a weekend treat.
Meanwhile, the Pork and Herb Sausage Rolls offer a convenient and crowd-pleasing option. These golden, flaky bites are easy to make in batches, freeze beautifully, and reheat quickly — perfect for school lunches, snacks, or picnics. With fresh herbs and quality meat wrapped in puff pastry, they're a step above the store-bought variety.
Both recipes are practical, flavourful, and designed with real family life in mind — simple enough for everyday cooking but tasty enough to feel special. Whether you're planning on feeding a crowd, these sausage-based dishes deliver on both taste and convenience.
Pork and Herb Sausage Rolls
recipe by:Sarah Butler
Sausage rolls are a perfect family snack — tasty, filling, and easy to make in large batches. Whether it's a picnic, lunchbox, or after-school treat, sausage rolls are practical and delicious.
Servings
16
Preparation Time 
15 mins
Cooking Time 
25 mins
Total Time 
40 mins
Course 
Main
Ingredients 1 sheet ready-made puff pastry, cut into three long strips
350g high pork content sausages (80% if possible)
½ tsp thyme and sage, finely chopped
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
Combine the sausage meat with the herbs and breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper, and mix together with a fork in a bowl.
Lay out the pastry strips.
Brush egg along one side of each pastry strip.
Place the sausage mixture filling into the middle of the pastry strip.
Ensure the meat is tight, compact, and without gaps before rolling up, finishing with the seam side down.
Brush the top with egg wash.
Cut into six sausage rolls with a sharp knife. Transfer to a baking tray, evenly spaced. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Sarah's secret
Placing the mixture in a piping bag can be a handy and quick way to add the filling to the pastry.
Assemble the sausage rolls and freeze flat on a baking tray, then once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and cook from frozen for a handy snack.
Sweet and Sticky Sausages
recipe by:Sarah Butler
These banging bangers are perfect for a satisfying lunch or casual dinner. Juicy pork sausages are simple and scrumptious. Served in crusty rolls they make an ideal choice for family meals, weekend treats, or hearty snacks for hungry teens on the go.
Servings
4
Preparation Time 
5 mins
Cooking Time 
25 mins
Total Time 
30 mins
Course 
Main
Ingredients 12 pork sausages
2 tbsp butter
1 large red onion, finely sliced
2 tbsp light brown sugar
50ml water
1 tsp tomato purée
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp freshly chopped thyme
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
4 crusty rolls or baps of your choice
For the sauce
8 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp hot dog mustard
1 tsp pickle juice (vinegar from a jar of pickles)
Method
Pan-fry the sausages in one tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat or oven bake for 20 to 25 minutes until thoroughly cooked — turning them through the cooking process.
Once browned all over, set aside.
Add one tablespoon of butter to a frying pan, then add the red onion and cook over medium heat for four to five minutes, until softened.
Add two tablespoons of light brown sugar and 50ml of water and cook for one minute, until the sauce has reduced and becomes sticky.
Slice the cooked sausages in half lengthways.
Add to the onions and add one teaspoon of tomato purée and one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce.
Season with freshly chopped thyme and parsley.
Combine all the ingredients, and once the mixture bubbles, remove it from the heat.
For the sauce, combine the mayonnaisse, mustard, ketchup, and pickle juice.
Butter your bread rolls, then add a layer of sauce followed by the sausages and sticky red onion sauce.
Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and tuck in.
Sarah's secret
This sauce is equally delicious with chicken and beef burgers, if you have any leftover.
So easy to whip up, make it part of your summer barbecue repertoire
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