Sausage Cream Cheese Crescent Roll Braid

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Published: 04/27/2019 | Updated: 04/03/2024

Sausage Cream Cheese Crescent Roll Braid is quite the mouthful, but I’m not sure what else to call it because each ingredient needs to shine! It’s the perfect combination of a flaky crescent roll crust filled with a cheesy sausage filling! The perfect brunch recipe or just make it for a special breakfast!

I first saw a version of this cream cheese sausage crescent rolls recipe in a Taste of Home about 20 years ago. It was one of those recipes that I brushed aside at first because it just didn’t look like there was much to it.

Turns out, that’s also the beauty of this cream cheese braid crescent rolls recipe! It doesn’t have very many ingredients, but they blend together just perfectly! It’s been a hit with everyone I serve it too and I literally have never left with even a bite left on the platter!

How to Make a Sausage Crescent Roll Braid

Begin by making your filling. This gives it a little time to cool before you fill the crescent rolls.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook 1 pound of sausage and 1 small, chopped onion. Continue to cook and stir occasionally until the sausage is no longer pink. Add 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic and cook another minute or two.

Then add 3 ounces of cream cheese, 3 chopped green onions and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley. Stir it into the sausage mixture and continue to cook until the cream cheese is melted and everything is blended together well.

Then, set aside your meat mixture.

Using non-stick cooking spray, grease a baking sheet. Unroll a tube of refrigerated crescent roll dough and press all the seams together well to make one rectangle. Roll the rectangle out a little bit using a rolling pin until it is about 12″ x 10″.

Spoon your sausage mixture down the middle of the crescent dough, being sure not to go to the edge.

Using a pizza cutter, cut strips down each long side about 3/4″ wide. You can go from the edge of the rectangle pretty close up to the sausage filling in the center.

Start at one end and fold your strips over the sausage, alternating sides as you go down. Just overlap them a little as if you were braiding.

One each end, just fold up your end pieces a little to tuck it all together.

In a small bowl, lightly beat one egg and then brush it over the outside of the crescent roll dough.

Then bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until it is nice and golden brown.

Tips and Substitutions

• You can also throw some chopped veggies in at the same time you cook the sausage and onions if you want. You could add chopped mushrooms, green peppers, or celery.
• You can replace the fresh parsley with dried parsley if that’s what you have on-hand.
• The egg wash is not necessary and it will still taste great if you don’t add that step. But the wash is what gives it that gorgeous golden brown color, so it is preferable if you’re serving it to company.
• I use 1 lb. of sausage when I make this recipe, but I know some people buy the sausage rolls that come in 12 oz. packages. That is perfectly fine to use as well! It really won’t make that much of a difference in the end.
• Feel free to use reduced-fat crescent rolls in place of the regular ones.

What to Serve at Brunch

I try to always have at least 1 meat dish, 1 egg dish, a fruit, and bread or muffin when I host brunch. I aim for 4-6 recipes including a drink.

These are some of my favorite brunch recipes especially because some of them can be made ahead of time so you don’t have to wake up super early and scramble the morning of your gathering!

• Blueberry Upside Down Quick Bread
• Onion, Bacon and Blue Cheese Tart
• Farmer’s Egg Bake
• Caprese Frittata
• Lemon Poppyseed Donuts
• Citrus Fruit Dip
• Peach Pound Cake
• Orange Crush Cocktails