Thanks for meeting us for brunch! We’ve got something real special for you guys. Today we have a puff pastry sausage thing… with bell peppers and onions… and like, potatoes are in there too. You see, it’s kind of like a pot pie, only there’s crust on the bottom too, but it’s not really a pie because it’s not baked in a pie dish and puff pastry takes the place of pie pastry…
OKAY I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT. Who cares what it is! It’s a really frickin’ good savory brunch pastry that’s flaky, comforting, and definitely inspired by my Southern origins (shout out to Florida).
Unlike our last post on ice cream, which was loaded with bits of food science and culinary know-how, there’s not much to be discussed here. Everyone knows what to do with potatoes, we simply use pre-made vegan breakfast sausage, and we’ve already covered puff pastry twice on the blog (examples A & B). So how about we skip the foreplay on this one and get straight to the main act? But first, a quick bulleted list! This brunch is:
- Easy to make & only takes 1 hour
- Family-style, with 6 servings
- Savory, comforting, and buttery
- Flaky, tender, chewy, and meaty
If you like what your tastebuds are tellin’ ya, leave behind a nice rating, share your thoughts with us in the comments, or show us your creations by tagging @noeggsorham on Instagram.
“Brunch is ssooo LA”
Potato & Sausage Brunch Pastry with White Pepper Bechamel Sauce (vegan)
Flaky puff pastry is stuffed with thyme-spiced potatoes and soulful breakfast sausage, served with smooth Bechamel sauce.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 2 sheets of vegan puff pastry, thawed according to package’s instructions
- 1 tsp vegan egg powder whisked with 4 tsps cold water
Sausage
- 7 oz vegan breakfast sausage, crumbled (we used Lightlife’s ‘Gimme Lean,’ which can be found at many supermarkets)
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/4 large onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp rubbed sage
- salt & pepper
Potatoes
- 1 medium russet potato, diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp dried tyhme
- salt & pepper
Bechamel Sauce
- 2 tbsps vegan butter
- 2 tbsps all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 c unsweetened soy milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 425° F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Toss diced russet potato with olive oil, thyme, a heavy pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper on cookie sheet until evenly coated. Once oven reaches temperature, roast for 20-25 minutes or until fork tender.
- While potato cooks, heat a medium / large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in vegan butter and let it melt. Then toss in bell pepper, onion, a heavy pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions brown lightly on the edges; 3-4 minutes.
- Toss in crumbled vegan sausage, paprika, sage, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is nicely browned in spots; about 4 more minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Once potatoes come out of oven, reduce heat to 400° F. Toss potatoes with the sausage mixture and set aside for now.
- Line another cookie sheet with parchment paper. Gently unfold one of the puff pastry sheets, and place a large amount of fillings in the middle (you may not be able to fit it all in there, which is okay), reserving about 3/4 inch of pastry on every side. Then use your finger to brush on a light layer of vegan egg mixture around the edges of the pastry.
- Gently unfold the second sheet of pastry and place right on top of the sausage mixture. Use a fork to lightly crimp the top & bottom sheet of pastry together.
- Use a sharp knife to cut a few slits in the top layer of pastry to let steam out, then spread on a light layer of the remaining vegan egg mixture all over the top of the pastry for increased browning.
- Bake at 400° F for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is puffy and lightly browned around the edges. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
- While pastry bakes, prepare Bechamel sauce. Place soy milk, salt, white pepper, and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg in a small pot over low heat.
- In a separate sauce pot, melt vegan butter over medium heat. Add in all purpose flour and whisk frequently until the mixture smooths and thins out; about 4 minutes. While constantly whisking, add in a ladle of warm soy milk at a time, working each one in before adding the next one. Continue adding soy milk in small amounts until half of it is used, at which point you can slowly pour in the rest.
- Bring to a boil then kill the heat. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, or nutmeg if desired. Serve Bechamel sauce over fresh brunch pastry. If storing for a while before serving, you may need to add a splash of soy milk to loosen it up.
- Best enjoyed while fresh, although leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 450° F oven until warm.
NO EGGS OR HAM 