Using simple store cupboard ingredients, these Cheese and Onion Rolls are packed with tasty savoury flavours. Encased in a peppery and mustard flaky pastry, the zingy mature cheddar and potato filling is packed with delicious undertones of onion, garlic and thyme.
Now we have an Air fryer we are finding that there are so many recipes that use dried herbs and spices rather than fresh ones. Excellent for time saving and convenience but still keeping all that flavour!
Therefore, rather than using fried onions, garlic and thyme I have gone for the dried versions in these tasty little Cheese and Onions Rolls.
This means that a batch of these little beauties is so cheap, quick and easy to knock up, and you can of course freeze them too.
Also you may want to check out my Shortcrust Pastry Sausage Rolls, which I absolutely adore and make every Christmas for nibbles. Not that they last very long! And if you like a savoury biscuit these Little Cheese and Ham Biscuits and truly divine.
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Why use this Cheese and Onion Rolls Recipe?
Simple store cupboard herbs, spices and granules✔️
Mustardy, peppery, flaky savoury pastry✔️
Tangy mature cheddar and potato filling✔️
Filling does not seep out when baked✔️
Great with a dip, such as a sweet chilli sauce✔️
Freeze well✔️
Top Tips for Cheese and Onion Rolls
Savoury pastry tips
Pulse rather your food processor to mix the dough because this stops it sticking to the base and you can control the mixing process.
Stop and shake the dry mixture from the base of the bowl at regular intervals. I also use a spatula so I can keep pulling the dry mixture up into the rest of the dough.
Add your water cautiously a avoid the dough become too sticky. Keep stopping and checking the process as you pulse the food processor and once it starts to form large balls remove. You don't' need to wait for all of the dry mixture to be incorporated first.
Cheese and Onion Filling tips
Use level teaspoons to ensure that you do not add more of the onion and garlic granules than are needed. They have quite powerful flavours and you don't want them to overpower the tasty cheese filling.
Use extra mature cheddar if you can, the more flavour your cheese ahs the better tasting you Cheese and Onion Rolls will be.
Use only a drop of milk to mash your potatoes because if the filling is too wet it will seep out of your baked rolls.
Ingredients and Substitutions
See the Recipe card below for the exact quantities
- Plain flour and wholemeal flour
Mostly we use plain flour, but a little wholemeal is added as it gives the pastry a slightly grainy texture and added flavour. However, using plain flour alone is absolutely fine. - Unsalted butter and lard
I prefer to use lard in savoury pastry because it gives it a flaky soft texture. You can replace the lard with butter though, the pastry will still be delicious. - Mustard seeds
I prefer to use mustard seeds because they give the pastry a subtle mustard flavour. Mustard seeds however can be replaced with a half a teaspoon of English mustard powder in the pastry and a teaspoon in the filling. - Cayenne pepper
This gives the pastry a bit of a kick, but it's strong stuff so really only a pinch is needed. You can omit it entirely or you add a pinch of chilli powder if you prefer.
- Potatoes
Any floury potato the is recommended for mashing is fine. I use Maris Piper. - Dried thyme
You can replace with fresh thyme leaves if you prefer. Or you can use dried rosemary. - Mustard seeds, garlic granules and onion granules.
These are all mixed together for flavourings. You can can replace the mustard seeds with English mustard powder. - Salt and pepper
Added for seasoning. - Extra mature cheddar cheese
I find this works best because of the rich flavour. However mature cheddar will be fine or even medium if that is what you have. - Egg
Use for the egg wash in order to give teh cheese and onion rolls a shiny glaze, but milk will be find as a substitute. - Nigella seeds
These are for decoration and texture, you can use sesame seeds instead or omit them altogether.
Instructions
See Recipe card for exact instructions.
Sift together both flours, cayenne pepper and salt and then mix in ground mustard seeds. Add to a food processor
.
Dot over cubes of cold chopped butter and lard and then pulse until the mixture has a sand like consistency.
Add four tablespoons of cold water and pulse again until the mixture forms clumps. If if does not form large clumps add a little more water.
Tip out and bring together into a ball, then press into a rectangle shape. Cover and refrigerate to set the butter with the dough.
Chop up your potatoes and simmer, along with dried thyme, until cooked.
Leave to cool and then mix in grated mature cheddar, ground mustard seeds, garlic granules and onion granules.
Roll out your pastry into a rectangle and then fill with your Cheese and Onion roll mixture.
Paint egg wash over the long edges of the pastry and then fold it over and secure by pressing down with a fork. Fold the cheese and onion roll on top of the seam so that it sits underneath it.
Cut into 2 inch segments. Then place on a lined baking sheet and sprinkle over nigella seeds.
Bake for 35 minutes until golden on the top and on the base. Remove to a cooling rack.
Storage
These Cheese and Onion Rolls will keep for up to a week in an airtight container and refrigerated.
You can freeze them as soon as they have totally cooled. Consume within 3 months.
FAQ
You've added enough water when the pastry starts clumping into larger balls and has a damp but not sticky texture. It should easily press together and hold its shape. If too sticky, add a little more flour and if too dry, add a little more water.
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📖 Recipe
Cheese and Onions Rolls
Here's what you'll need...
- Food processor optional, recipe as can be made by hand
- Small saucepan
- Potato masher
Ingredients you'll need...
Savoury Pastry
- 280 g Plain flour
- 40 g Wholemeal flour or increase plain flour to 240 grams
- ¼ teaspoon Fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds ground in a pestle and mortar
- 100 g Unsalted butter cold from the fridge
- 60 g Lard cold from the fridge (you can replace the lard with butter if you prefer)
- 4 tablespoon Very cold water
Cheese and Onion Filling
- 350 g Cooked Maris Piper potatoes any floury potato will be fine - keep the skin on and chop into cubes of about 2-3 cm
- 1 teaspoon Dried thyme
- 230 g Extra mature cheddar coarsely grated - you can use mature cheddar
- 1 teaspoon Onion granules
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds ground in a pestle and mortar
- ½ teaspoon Garlic granules
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon Nigella seeds or sesame seeds (both optional)
- 1 Egg for the eggwash - or you can use milk
Here's what we do...
Savoury Pastry
- Sift your plain flour, wholemeal flour, salt and cayenne pepper together into your mixing bowl. You'll find the husky bits of the wholemeal flour don't go through the sieve so just tip them in and mix.
- Stir in your ground mustard seeds and then, if using, add to your food processor with the blade attachment fitted.
- Dot over your cubed cold butter and cold lard and then pulse your food processor until the mixture is sand-like. Give the mixture a shake now and then to ensure the dry ingredients from the base are fully incorporated. If not using a food processor simply rub the lard and butter into the flour with your fingertips.
- Add your cold water and pulse again until the mixture just starts to clump into larger lumps but some dry mixture still remains. Then tip out onto your work surface and bring everything together into a ball. Press together until solid but do not knead.
- Flatten into a rectangle shape about an inch deep, cover in cling film (plastic wrap) and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes whilst you make your filling.
Cheese and Onion Filling
- Heat your oven to 170°C Fan/190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5 and line your large baking tray with greaseproof (parchment) paper.
- Give your cubed potatoes a rinse in cold water to remove excess starch and then add to your saucepan, fill with cold water and mix in your dried thyme.
- Bring to a rolling boil and simmer until cooked, this usually takes about 20 minutes.
- Drain using your fine mesh sieve to retrain the thyme along with the potatoes and then put the potatoes and thyme into a bowl to cool. Once cool chop into small pieces.
- Mix in your grated cheese, ground mustard seeds, onion granules and garlic granules.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. I found about 5 turns of my standard sized salt grinder and 20 of my pepper were enough.
- Mix well to be sure all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Remove your pastry from the fridge and split into two equal halves. Put one aside for now and, on a lightly floured surface, roll the other out to a size of 40cm x 15cm.
- Take half of your cheese and onion roll mixture and spread it along the centre of one of your rectangles of pastry.
- Lightly beat your egg, then using your pastry brush, spread some over the edges of two long sides of pastry.
- Pull the edge of the pastry furthest away from you over the filling and secure to the other long side. Press the edges of the pastry together with a fork to secure and then gently roll the whole thing over so that it sits neatly on top of the secured edge.
- Paint over more of the beaten egg so that your cheese and onions rolls have a glazed finish and then cut in 2 inch rolls. Push any filling that spills out back into the rolls.
- Place the cheese and onion rolls onto your lined baking tray, ensuring a space of about an inch around them and sprinkle over nigella seeds if using.
- Repeat with your other rectangle of pastry.
- Refrigerate for 15 minutes and then bake for 35-40 minutes in the centre of your oven until golden on top and on the base. If any filling has seeped out a little just gently push it back in to give a tidy finish.
- Remove to a cooling rack to cool.
- Enjoy either warm, reheated or cold - try with a sweet chill sauce as a tip, chutney or pickle. Heaven!
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