They look so impressive that no one needs to know just how easy they actually are: two sheets of dough with a brie wheel in the center, each one sliced into rays and each ray rolled up with a sausage meatball or caramelized-onion-stuffed mushroom tucked inside. Sesame seeds and poppy seeds help guests remember which wheel is sausage and which is onion, and you could even make one half-and-half wheel for a smaller party… but it will be completely gone by the end of the night either way.
Truthfully, the first three or four times I tested this recipe, I was really trying to create the perfect dough from scratch. Each dough was okay, but it was never quite crisp enough or light enough or flaky enough. I finally tried frozen puff pastry and it’s simply the right crust for this recipe. It’s always nice when a major shortcut comes out better than homemade!
This recipe has been a major hit at holiday parties so I knew it was past time to share them here with you! It’s best to use a whole unbroken brie wheel so the cheese doesn’t run out into the pastry, and a 14 oz. wheel is just the right size for this number of pastry bites.
Don’t be intimidated by the long instructions! I wrote out each step in detail to describe how to cut the pastry and included both instructions separately, but you can assemble and bake these at the same time. Add about 10 extra minutes to the baking time and rotate pans halfway through if you’re making two at once.
The most time-consuming part is baking the meatballs, caramelizing the onions, and roasting the mushrooms – all of which can be done a couple days ahead of time. Once these fillings are ready, rolling them up in the pastry doesn’t take long at all. You can even completely assemble the wheels and keep in the fridge up to a day in advance, then pop them in the oven to bake when you’re ready.
These stuffed brie wheels are a big hit every time I make them – I’d love to hear how yours turn out!
Sausage & Mushroom Stuffed Brie Wheels
Ingredients
Sausage Stuffed Brie Wheel
- 1 lb. sausage
- 2 sheets puff pastry thawed
- 14 oz. brie wheel
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 T. sesame seeds
- parchment paper
Mushroom & Caramelized Onion Stuffed Brie Wheel
- 2 T. butter
- 2 onions halved & thinly sliced
- 1 lb. small baby portabellas about 3/4" diameter, 40 pieces total
- 2 sheets puff pastry thawed
- 14 oz. brie wheel
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 T. poppy seeds
- parchment paper
Instructions
Sausage Stuffed Brie Wheel
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Roll sausage into penny-sized balls for a total of 40. Place on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake meatballs at 400° for 15 minutes, until browned. Reduce heat to 325° when done.
- While meatballs are baking, roll each pastry sheet into a 12x12-inch square on a lightly floured surface.
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay one pastry sheet on top. Set the brie wheel in the center and place strips of parchment paper on all four sides, touching the wheel and covering the pastry. Drape the second pastry sheet over the brie.
- Use a sharp knife to make a slice on each side of the pastry square from the edge to the brie wheel. Cut just through the first pastry sheet to the parchment paper. You should now have four quadrants in the first pastry sheet.
- Cut each quadrant evenly into four strips, again slicing from the edge to the the brie wheel. Trim and save scraps from the longer corner strips.
- Set a meatball on the end of a strip and tightly roll up until it is snug against the brie wheel. Repeat for all 16 strips, using scrap pastry to patch any holes if needed.
- Remove the parchment paper strips and cut four quadrants in the second pastry sheet.
- Cut each quadrant evenly into six strips, again slicing from the edge to the the brie wheel. Trim and save scraps from the longer corner strips.
- Set a meatball on the end of a strip and tightly roll up until it is snug against the brie wheel. Repeat for all 24 strips, using scrap pastry to patch any holes if needed.
- Brush the entire surface with egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake at 325° for 25-30 minutes, until deep golden brown all over.
- Carefully cut around the top of the brie wheel. Remove top just before serving.
Mushroom & Caramelized Onion Stuffed Brie Wheel
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add the onions and cook low & slow until deeply caramelized, about an hour. Scrape the bottom of the pot often; adding whiskey helps deglaze the skillet and adds a wonderful flavor.
- While the onions are caramelizing, preheat oven to 400°.
- Arrange 40 small mushrooms on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Cut any larger mushrooms in half for a total of 40 pieces if needed.
- Roast mushrooms at 400° for 15 minutes, until they release liquid. Reduce heat to 325° when done.
- While mushrooms are roasting, roll each pastry sheet into a 12x12-inch square on a lightly floured surface.
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay one pastry sheet on top. Set the brie wheel in the center and place strips of parchment paper on all four sides, touching the wheel and covering the pastry. Drape the second pastry sheet over the brie.
- Use a sharp knife to make a slice on each side of the pastry square from the edge to the brie wheel. Cut just through the first pastry sheet to the parchment paper. You should now have four quadrants in the first pastry sheet.
- Cut each quadrant evenly into four strips, again slicing from the edge to the the brie wheel. Trim and save scraps from the longer corner strips.
- Set a mushroom on the end of a strip and stuff with about half a teaspoon of caramelized onions. Tightly roll up until it is snug against the brie wheel. Repeat for all 16 strips, using scrap pastry to patch any holes if needed.
- Remove the parchment paper strips and cut four quadrants in the second pastry sheet.
- Cut each quadrant evenly into six strips, again slicing from the edge to the the brie wheel. Trim and save scraps from the longer corner strips.
- Set a mushroom on the end of a strip and stuff with about half a teaspoon of caramelized onions. Tightly roll up until it is snug against the brie wheel. Repeat for all 24 strips, using scrap pastry to patch any holes if needed.
- Brush the entire surface with egg yolk and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
- Bake at 325° for 25-30 minutes, until deep golden brown all over.
- Carefully cut around the top of the brie wheel. Remove top just before serving.
Leave a Reply