Cheese and onion rolls are like a deliciously cheesy vegetarian alternative to sausage rolls. Crispy puff pastry stuffed with a cheese, potato and onion mix with a hint of mustard. The perfect addition to a party food buffet, or for a tasty snack.
Best eaten warm from the oven, these cheese and onion rolls are worth making yourself and skipping the store bought version. The cheese filling has a real burst of flavour and you can easily adapt them with different add-ins. Ready in just 30 minutes, these cheese rolls are great for a picnic too.
If you are looking for some other recipes that are perfect for party food, then why not try our Christmas Sausage Rolls, Cheese Biscuits, Baked Jalapeno Poppers or Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken?
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Why you will love them
- Easy - These are so easy to make. It's as simple as mixing everything together and adding it to store bought pastry (one of our favourite time saving hacks).
- Lots of flavour - If you have tried the store bough cheese and onion rolls before, you will know that they are a little bland. These are packed with cheesy flavour and the fresh onion just adds something extra.
- Adaptable - We have kept this recipe fairly simple, but given a few different ways of how you can adapt them.
- Stores well - We love making a big batch of these cheese and onion sausage rolls and storing them in the freezer to grab to add to lunch boxes or snacks on the go.
- Kids love them - If your kids are constantly snacking (how are they always so hungry?) this is an easy and filling snack.
- Delicious party food - Sausage rolls are a must at any party and these are a great vegetarian alternative.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Puff pastry - We used store bought puff pastry as we have made our own before and honestly can't taste the difference for the amount of effort it took.
- Potatoes - This helps to bulk them out and make them more filling. A little time saving hack - instead of cooking potatoes for this recipe, it's a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.
- Onion - We used a brown onion. You could use a red onion though if you prefer.
- Cheese - The star of the recipe. We used a mature cheddar because it has a strong flavour and a little goes a long way. You could do half and half with Parmesan too. We wouldn't recommend using something like Mozzarella for cheese and onion rolls, because it is too stringy and melty.
- Butter - This is what the onions are softened in and it really caramelises them.
- Mustard - An easy way to add lots of flavour. We used English mustard as we wanted a strong mustard flavour, but you would use Dijon or even wholegrain.
- Egg - This is brushed on the pastry to give the cheese and onion rolls a golden crisp finish.
- Chia seeds - This makes them look really nice. You could use poppy seeds, but this is what we had and it adds some extra protein.
- Gherkins - This adds a lovely crunchy texture to the mix. You could leave it out if you prefer.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make cheese and onion rolls - Step by step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
One: Add the diced potatoes to a pan of boiling water. Return to the boil and simmer until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
Two: Meanwhile, heat a pan and melt the butter. Add the onions (a). Cook over a low heat until softened (b), about 5 minutes.
Three: Drain the potatoes and leave to steam dry for a few minutes (a). Mash the potatoes (b).
Four: Add the cheese, cooked onions, chopped gherkins and mustard to the mashed potato (a). Mix well to combine everything (b).
Five: Slice the pastry lengthways in half. Divide the potato mixture along the two pieces of pastry (a). Roll the pastry around the mixture (b). Repeat with the second roll and carefully turn the rolls over so they are seam side down (c).
Six: Slice each roll into eight pieces (a). Brush with whisked egg and sprinkle over the chia seeds (b).
Seven: Arrange the rolls on a lined baking tray with space in between them (a). Bake in the oven for 25 minutes (b).
What to serve with Cheese and onion rolls
There are so many different ways to serve these cheese and onion rolls, which is what we love about them. They are the perfect addition to a party food buffet with all the usual favourites.
Kids also love them, so why not serve with up with some Air Fryer Potato Wedges and Slow Cooker Baked Beans for a proper kid's tea?
Why dip bread into soup when you could dip these into it? These are delicious dipped in to our Easy Tomato Soup, Creamy Vegetable Soup or even our Kale Soup.
Variations
This is a pretty simple recipe and we like to let the flavour of the cheese and onion shine through. However there are a few ways that you can change it up, so you can have them a different way every time.
Bacon - Everything is better with bacon, right? Add some finely chopped cooked bacon into the mixture. You will need to adjust the amount of salt added, as the bacon will add saltiness.
Herbs - Fresh or dried herbs will give a really big flavour boost. Why not go with rosemary, thyme or oregano which all go really well with cheese.
Spinach - If you want to give these a green boost, you can add some finely chopped spinach to these cheese and onion rolls.
Marmite - Love it or hate it (we LOVE it), it goes perfectly with cheese. Add a small spoonful to the cheese and onion mixture.
Chutney - If you have lots of chutney leftover from Christmas, then add a little bit of this to the cheese and onion rolls. You want to be careful not to over stuff them though, otherwise you won't be able to fold the pastry.
Bigger - These are mini rolls, but if you wanted a bigger version like a pasty, then why not try our Cheese and Onion Pasty?
Storage
Store: These cheese and onion rolls will keep in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: If you want to store them for longer, then they freeze really well. Individually wrap them and then put them in a freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Defrost: You can defrost these in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: If you wanted to warm these up a little then put them in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
You definitely can. We prefer them hot as the cheese is nice and melty. But you can definitely eat them cold and they are a great addition to a picnic or packed lunch.
Yes, you definitely can. You can make up all the filling and keep it in a bowl, covered, in the fridge. Then you can make up the rolls when you are ready.
You can make these vegan with a few swaps. You can get some great vegan puff pasty now and then you will need to use oil instead of butter for the onions. Skip the egg wash, as you don't have to use this and of course you will need to use your favourite vegan cheddar alternative.
To make a gluten free version of this, use gluten free puff pastry and mustard and make sure there is no cross contamination.
More cheese recipes
If you’ve tried this cheese and onion roll recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Cheese and Onion Rolls
Ingredients
- 375 g (13.25 oz) Puff pastry
- 2 Potatoes - small; peeled and finely diced
- 1 Onion - small; finely diced
- 150 g (1.33 cups) Cheddar cheese - mature; grated
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 1 teaspoon English mustard
- 1 Egg - whisked
- 2 Gherkins - finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Chia seeds
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Add 2 Potatoes to a pan of boiling water. Return to the boil and simmer until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a pan and melt 2 tablespoon Butter. Add 1 Onion. Cook over a low heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and leave to steam dry for a few minutes. Mash the potatoes.
- Add 150 g Cheddar cheese, cooked onions, 2 Gherkins and 1 teaspoon English mustard to the mashed potato. Mix well to combine everything.
- Slice 375 g Puff pastry lengthways in half. Divide the potato mixture along the two pieces of pastry.
- Roll the pastry around the mixture. Repeat with the second roll and carefully turn the rolls over so they are seam side down.
- Slice each roll into eight pieces. Brush with 1 Egg (whisked) and sprinkle over the 1 tablespoon Chia seeds.
- Arrange the rolls on a lined baking tray with space in between them (a). Bake in the oven for 25 minutes (b).
Notes
- If you are using ready rolled puff pastry, then you need to leave it out of the fridge for 15 minutes before you unroll it otherwise you will get cracks in it.
- Cut through the pastry with a sharp knife. Don't drag your knife through it otherwise it will tear the pastry.
- You can use less cheese in this recipe if you wanted to make them lighter, but you won't get that really cheesy flavour.
- If you want to get the onions really caramelised, then you can add a little bit of brown sugar to them when they are cooking.
- Although these are definitely best enjoyed warm, you will need to let them cool for about 10 minutes before serving as the cheese will be VERY hot inside straight from the oven.
- The key to making these is not over stuffing the pastry, as they won't seal very well.
Nutritional Information
Beth
There is no way there are any leftovers with these tasty appetizers! Just in time for holiday parties!
Sara Welch
These were everything a gourmet sandwich should be and then some! Easy, quick and delicious little sliders, indeed!
Kris
So comforting and tasty! Will make again!
Gina Abernathy
This was my first time baking with puff pastry and I am now hooked. These rolls were absolutely delicious!
Kathleen
These are perfect little puff pastry rolls. Love the flavor combination too.
Kathryn
I love baking with puff pastry and these savory rolls hit the spot! Such a delicious combination of flavors in each bite. Loved this recipe!
Dana
These are so wonderfully flaky and tasty! Cheese and onion is such a great flavor combo.
kushigalu
Drooling over these delicious rolls. I love the flavor combo here. Thanks for sharing.
Tara
Oh wow! These rolls are such an amazing and delicious vegetarian alternative. The flavors sound absolutely fantastic.
Eni
I love these crunchy treats. They are delicious! Thank you for the recipe.