This is probably one of the easiest recipes you could whip up, perfect for breakfast, game day, appetizers, or just a good hearty snack!
~If you want to hop right to the recipe, just scroll down until you see my ingredients photograph. If you’d like to visit a spell, keep reading~
I just got back from a very busy (and fun) weekend with Katy and her dear friend, Sara Jane. We spent a few days in Knoxville at a My Little Pony Convention there, and did a little Tennessee jetsetting as well.
First a word about “PonyCon” or any other (insert word here)Con. I wanted to offer a few words of caution to parents who may not know…. just because your child tells you that they want to go and it has something to do with an animation/television show/movie that they and/or other kids watch, do NOT assume it is a family friendly event. I repeat, do NOT assume. If anything, I’d go with the way some courts run nowadays and assume guilt until proven innocent. Many “cons” are iffy at best and even those that aren’t as “iffy” have to be attended at judicious times of day when traveling with children.
However, My Little Pony Cons do tend to be much more child friendly, mainly, I think, due to the nature of what My Little Pony is and the virtues it represents. Super Speedy Cider Con was an excellent example of this and my girls were treated with the utmost reverence, kindness, and attention throughout our whole weekend. In short, while this event was attended primarily by adults (as most of them are) children were treated as most honored guests.
We headed up to Knoxville Friday morning, with the girls watching Aladdin and Tomorrowland on the way and me listening to my Kirk Franklin via ear buds. Katy and Sara Jane had kindly asked me to “please not play that music” and I had to get my fix somehow. I am at odds with my entire family in my musical selection and have been for years. Ricky listens to Christian pop, Brady is currently going through a seventies and eighties band phase, I am more of a Kirk Franklin/Lecrae type gal, and Katy’s current favorite song is this:
So yeah, I cranked up the Kirk Franklin via earbuds and we blasted off to the great state of Tennessee, where I may or may not have a future cabin on top of a remote mountain waiting for me.
Once there, the girls had to get all dolled up. And by all dolled up, I’m talking this:
During the course of conversation I discovered that Sara Jane had NEVER been to Pigeon Forge. Since this is one of my favorite places for fun, I felt obligated to right this terrible wrong so we all piled back in the car and took the semi-short drive in order to ride bumper boats, go carts, and take in a dinner show.
Note: I rode a go-cart. This is not something I would normally do because, in our marriage, stuff like that is Ricky’s job. But I am often inconvenienced when I travel without my counterpart, and this was no different. I didn’t scream (much) and Katy said I even did a good job! ~pins gold star on self~
I did not ride bumper boats as there is a limit to my willingness to step out on that limb and that limit usually begins at water’s edge. Oh I can swim and all that, and it’s not like the water was deep, but I’m more cat like when it comes to my lack of appreciation for water based activities beyond showers and baths. However, I did photograph the girls so that still counts as participating in my book – and since I’m the one writing my book we’re all good.
The dinner show we went to is one Katy said Sara Jane just HAD to see. SJ was not really excited about it because she thought a dinner show was going to be boring. I’ve only been to three dinner shows in my life, though, and I have to say this one is the least boring of them all. The girls were grinning, laughing, clapping, and dancing in their seats the whole time and we all had a blast there. It was the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show and I’m always impressed with the good food, wonderful entertainment, and how I get a little choked up at the end where they pull God and His will into the storyline as a means of tying up the loose ends and bringing about the happy ending.
It was the perfect happy ending to our weekend, to be sure. I’m so grateful Katy has a friend like Sara Jane. You can see more photos on my instagram if you’d like, including the blue egg one of my hens laid yesterday! 🙂 Click here for that.
Now, lets make us some sausage pinwheels!
You’ll need an 8 ounce can of crescent rolls and about a 1/2 pound of breakfast sausage.
Note: We only use turkey sausage now. I love the Jennie-O Brand.
Roll out your dough onto a lightly greased surface and press the seams together to seal them.
Spread your sausage over the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch edge all around. Roll that up as if you’re making cinnamon rolls, pressing the roll together a bit as you do so.
Cut it into about 12 slices. Some folks swear by using dental floss or thread to cut these slices but I’ve honestly just never seen a problem with using a knife and that seems the simplest solution to me so that is what I go with.
Place slices about an inch or so apart on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown.
ENJOY!
- 1 can Crescent Rolls
- ½ pound roll turkey breakfast sausage (Mild or Hot)
- Roll out crescent roll dough onto lightly greased surface (I use a baking sheet or cutting board). Press seams together.
- Spread sausage with a knife all over top of dough, leaving about ½ inch space free on the edges all around.
- Roll up dough cinnamon roll style, pressing together as you do so.
- Cut into 12 slices. Place on greased baking sheet, about an inch apart to allow for expanding, and bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown.
Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.
~Proverbs 21:23
Yum 
we could totally be road trip buddies…love Kirk Franklin and Lecrae 🙂
🙂 Soul Sisters!!
I make these and top the sausage with shredded cheese.
Delish!!!! 😉
Can’t wait to make this, I just know it’s going to be fantastic! Not sure if you know that Pillsbury makes a seamless dough sheet for recipes like this:
http://www.pillsbury.com/products/crescents/recipe-creations
Bless you, Christy, for all you do!
Yes, but it can be much harder to find that the regular crescent rolls. I get it when I do find it though 🙂
Constance, thanks so much for that info and link. I had no idea Pillsbury made seamless dough sheets for recipes like this. I just checked my grocery store’s website and I’m so happy to see that they carry them .
My personal opinion is that the seamless sheets are thicker and puff up more. I prefer the original.
The appetizers will be great for upcoming holiday cocktail parties. Thanks for the recipe, Christy!
Yes they will Gina!!!
My family got hooked on these many many years ago. It has become part of our traditional Christmas breakfast. I can’t cook them fast enough!
Same here Karen!! They seem to disappear right before my eyes.
These are like the sausage balls I make for get togethers,only like another poster I also use shredded chedder cheese.Think I will make the pinwheels for breakfast.
They are similar, and so easy to make!!
These are even better when you sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese on sausage before rolling up.
🙂
Great pinwheels Christy. I mix 8 oz. cream cheese and one pound cooked and drained sausage. Oh so good too!!! Instead of pinwheels, I put a layer of crescent rolls in bottom of 13 x 9 and spread with sausage mixture, then top with another layer of crescent rolls. Bake and cut into squares.
Great idea Phyl!! Thanks for sharing!!
What a wonderful weekend Katy and Sara Jane had with you! You are just the bestest mom ever!!
Thank you Susan, you are too kind!!!
I have got to try these. Thanks for sharing the story and recipe. And I love today’s scripture!!
🙂 I hope you enjoy the pinwheels!!
Making these tonight for my grandchildren. Thanks for the recipe.
I hope everyone enjoys and you have a wonderful evening making memories with the grandchildren!!
They look wonderful.
Had a couple thoughts. Not browning the sausage first, wouldn’t that make them rather greasy tasting after they are baked?(sausage grease covering the baking sheet)
thinking about mixing in some cheddar cheese and finely chopped up chives.
Think also about browning the sausage first and then mixing in some herb and garlic cheese.
Also wondering; why couldn’t a person use the already packaged sausage that is already browned; kinda like the heat and serve kind.
They aren’t greasy when I make them, but I use Tennessee Pride sausage normally so it depends on your sausage. I’ve never used pre cooked sausage but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. You’d need to add something like you mentioned to help it hold together. 🙂
Do you cook the sausage first. Doesn’t seem like it would cook thoroughly once you put it into the crescent roll. Please advise. Oh, and thank you for all of your great recipes!
No, I don’t cook it first Vanette. It is such a thin layer that it cooks up perfectly!
I have to admit, Katy’s favorite song is catchy 🙂 It is so silly it put a big ol’ smile on my face this morning! I absolutely love taking our family to Pigeon Forge. We never make time to go to dinner shows. We always get a little nervous that we are gonna get stuck in a bad one 🙂
I love making these pin wheels. I think the recipe I use sprinkles a little cheese on the sausage before they go in the oven. They are the perfect portable savory breakfast food.
You should make the time to go see a dinner show Jennifer, we love them!!
Do you cook the sausage first?
No ma’am. It cooks in the oven
Thank You.
Christy,
Yes, we have had to listen to that silly song over and over and over again, no wonder you had your own playlist! 😉 I didn’t know that the PonyCon was this past weekend, my daughter has been begging me to take her to MineCon, and would have loved PonyCon..I don’t quite get it, as it’s not the My Little Pony that we grew up with, but have been paying attention to the Youtube-ers that she watches, even the “Bronies” (which i find hilarious).
The sausage that you purchased, was it javelina/game sausage? It’s a lot more lean, and comes in a package like you showed. I haven’t seen normal sausage look like that here in TX… Sorry to talk you ear off, Love what you do! Have a great day!
Regards,
Christy
This looks wonderful. I will be making these soon. Will probably put them on a parchment paper lined sheet. Makes for easy cleanup and I can get a roll of the parchment paper at our Dollar Tree for $1.00!
Thank you, Christy, for brightening my day each and every time I read your posts.
Great idea Carol!!
Why OH WHY did I click on Katie’s favorite song??
I can’t get it out of my head! I listened to it this morning and have been singing it all day.
Oh Man, I am seriously suffering, lol.
LOL, I KNOW the feeling!!
ME TOO!! I have been humming/whistling it at work and folks are starting to look at me funny! Can’t get that out of my head LOL!
My mom makes these with homemade biscuit dough. Takes a little longer, but ohhhhh so good!
Oh my goodness, I bet so!!!
These look like a great family pleaser! Unlike songs about pink fluffy unicorns 🙂 LOL!!!!
LOL!!!
I first made these in 1980, I think. I found the recipe in a press release that Pilsbury had sent to our newspaper where I was the food section editor.
Easy, yes.
Trouble – some. You have to get your hands all greasy with sausage grease, and then once they cook, you have to do something with the grease.
I made them for a party, and they were inhaled rather than eaten.
A couple of tips – First, stick the rolls in the freezer for a few minutes so the sausage doesn’t squush out when you cut them. We’d forget and leave them in there an hour or so, but the electric knife worked quite well for cutting them.
Second, cook them on a broiler pan or a cooling rack (not vinyl covered!) placed in a pan with sides. The grease will flow out of the sausage and into the pan, which will make them cleaner to handle. You’ll have a LOT of grease to dispose of when you’re done.
Thanks for the tips! I have never had much grease at all but it is likely the sausage that I use. Tennessee Pride mostly.
These look great, Christy. I will be making them soon, probably adding some shredded cheese like others mentioned (’cause everything’s better with cheese, lol). These will be perfect for the holidays!
These looks delicious Christy, but I think that I would brown the sausage first,to get rid of the grease, sprinkle with a little chives or some other seasoning and then sprinkle with a little cheddar or mozzarella cheese. Thanks Christy, a wonderful idea. Looks like you had a ball with your beautiful little daughter Katy and her friend Sara Jane in Pigeon Forge!
Thank you Annette, We did have a ball!!
I never knew there was a name for these
I made these when the girls were little
They would begin for “saucey roll ups.” They couldn’t say sausage. I use Pillsbury grand biscuits instead of Cresent rolls. I also put shredded cheddar cheese in with the sausage.
🙂
I made these Christmas Eve for breakfast. Yum! I’m getting ready to make some more.
I am so glad you liked them Linnie, they are addictive aren’t they?
Hi Christy!
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes you publish! Is there a way to mark ‘favorites’ on your site, so I can tuck them away somewhere and find them easily when I’m ready to cook?
I’m gonna try mixing up some chicken sausage to make these.
You are going to love them Barbara!!
These were my favorite snack my Grandmother use to make, especially for the family Christmas party. Now that she’s not with us, I make a double batch and bring them to the party as a tribute to her. They are usually gone with 5 minutes of putting them on the table. Last year I didn’t even get any! LOL.
As far as I know we can’t get Pillsbury dough in Australia…there are so many delicious recipes that use it and I can’t make any of them….very disappointing! Any suggestions what how I could make my own in a thermomix?
LMD, I have no idea what a thermomix is! But I’ll bet you have some kind of refrigerated or frozen –
ready-made – bread dough of some kind. If you’ve read all the comments, you’ll know that some people have used biscuit (not bread, not cookie) dough or even homemade biscuit dough, so it’s adaptable. Keep the layer of sausage thin, and you should have no problem cookie the combination without burning the bread part.
These look so good! Going to try these in a couple of days. Do they freeze well? Thanks for all your recipes and Scriptures! They are wonderful, and so are you.
Thank you so much Linda, I think you are wonderful yourself!! They do freeze well, have. A Merry Christmas!!