Bonfire Night Warmers

Great Grandma’s Bready Sausage Rolls

Al fresco dining can be a bit nippy on Bonfire Night, but Dawn Cromar has some ideas to keep you warm while you watch those fireworks . . .

With rockets, sparklers and Catherine wheels galore, Bonfire Night and firework displays can be a really exciting time for youngsters (and for those that are not so young)!

November fifth is an exception to the rule as far as the weather is concerned – while the majority of us are happy to sit outside into the wee hours in the summer after a barbecue for  example, we wouldn’t usually consider entertaining guests outside as winter gets underway.

But we do tend to on Guy Fawkes Night! While many attend organized displays, some are more likely to hold smaller gatherings in their back gardens, especially when they have little ones. This will usually entail a few nibbles, perhaps drinks and the all important sparklers.

But with all the glittery and noisy distractions, how can you make sure your food is still one of the stars of the show? There are lots of tasty yet simple treats you can serve up to keep adults and youngsters satisfied while they enjoy the whooshing and popping of a fireworks display.

Toasted marshmallows are an obvious bonfire night favourite – but we recommend toasting them under the grill, or even on the barbecue, to save any nasty accidents and always make sure the little ones are supervised.

However for something more filling and wholesome, baked potatoes with a spicy chilli filling or a heart-warming soup make fantastic winter warmers if you’re having a few people round – you can prepare them in advance and can even leave your guests to serve themselves. But if you’re having a larger gathering a hot buffet never goes amiss.

For example, marinated ribs. There are dozens of marinades you can try – we like the simple ones like Chinese Five Spice mixed with soy sauce, honey and sweet chilli sauce for example (and if the weather is kind to you, then you can even consider breaking out the barbecue). Pizza and even toasted sandwiches will also keep everyone happy – but if you want to go
more traditional, then no one will turn their nose up at a bacon or sausage sarnie.

One of the tastiest treats we like to get our taste buds around (first dished up by our kids’ Great Grandma!) are sausage rolls – but not in the traditional sense as this recipe uses bread not pastry . . .

Trim the crusts off however many slices of bread you wish to use, and roll them very flat using a rolling pin. Grate cheese (we use cheddar but you can use any variety you like) into a bowl, and add in some English mustard. Again, you can use any mustard you prefer, but my little ones like English the best. Spread the cheesy mustard mix onto the bread, and add some small sausages (chipolatas or you can use two smaller cocktail sausages side by side) into the middle. You can pre-cook the sausages if you like the peace of mind that they are definitely cooked (as I do, I find it tricky to know if little sausages are cooked all the way through ithout stabbing them with a skewer!). Roll the bread and cheesy mustard mix around the sausage until you have a fully rolled parcel. Cook the sausage rolls for about 15-20 minutes at around 180C, depending on how crispy you would like them.

Other quick and tasty ideas include sticky sausages – halfway through cooking your cocktail sausages, drizzle honey over the top of them for a nice sweet glaze. You can also add herbs or even mustard to the top.

The result is a crispy, yummy delight! They never last long at family parties we have anyway – especially if our Great Grandma has made them as hers always seem to be that bit tastier!