These Andouille Sausage Puffs Are The Ultimate Party Appetizer

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Every host needs a recipe for a really good appetizer. Served at a time when guests are hungriest, appetizers are arguably the most important part of hosting a party, and a really good one can set the tone for the rest of the night. While you can never go wrong with a dip or a well-built charcuterie board, a freshly-baked welcome snack is the perfect way to impress guests a little extra, all while providing time for you to finish any complicated entrees in the kitchen.

This andouille sausage puffs with Cajun remoulade recipe, written with developer Michelle McGlinn, is the perfect way to welcome guests to a party or tide over a group of hungry sports fans until pizza arrives. The flaky, buttery layer of puff pastry provides the perfect textural contrast to the spicy, juicy baked andouille, which caramelizes into a rich and savory sausage while in the oven. Combined with a tangy, salty, creamy Cajun remoulade, these andouille sausage puffs are a sure way to keep guests satisfied (especially if your entree is taking longer than expected).

The two most important ingredients you'll need for this recipe are andouille sausage and puff pastry. Andouille a type of smoked sausage that is usually sold in a folded link, which can be cut on either side of the fold into two long pieces that are about the same size as the puff pastry. As for puff pastry, be sure that it is thawed to a pliable texture but still cold to touch. To brown the puff pastry, grab an egg and some water, and then gather the ingredients for remoulade. For this remoulade, which is the Cajun version associated with New Orleans, you'll need mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, hot sauce (we like Louisiana-style), parsley, garlic, capers, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl.

Roll out the puff pastry onto a floured surface.

Add the andouille sausage and curl the puff pastry around it, then roll into a tight log.

Seal the puff pastry closed using the egg wash, then slice into ½-inch pieces.

Brush the slices with egg wash.

Add slices to a parchment-lined sheet tray, brushing any bare spots with egg wash.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until browned and puffy.

In the meantime, mix all remoulade ingredients together until mostly smooth.

Serve the andouille puffs with remoulade.

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Andouille sausage is a type of smoked sausage similar to Kielbasa but with a more spicy, peppery flavor. Commonly associated with Cajun and Creole cuisine, andouille is known for being browned in a pot before being used, largely so that the other ingredients can absorb the rich flavor. Browning, in turn, lightly crisps the edges of the sausage and adds salty, rich flavor. Though it is a common way to prepare andouille, browning is not needed here.

The andouille sausage will actually brown perfectly in the oven, even being inside of the puff pastry. If you do wish to brown the andouille further (or have leftover slices you want to use up), slice the pieces and brown in a skillet, then cut and roll the puff pastry individually around each piece. This method, while less efficient, will guarantee extra-browned pieces and some leftover grease to make a delicious jambalaya.

Cajun remoulade is a unique mixture of ingredients that, for the most part, only require squeezing or shaking out of a bottle. Still, there are a few ingredients that require quite a bit of prep before adding to the sauce, which can slow you down in a hurry. The best way to shortcut the remoulade prep is to throw all of the ingredients together and let a machine do the work, though you do want to be careful to not over-process your remoulade (some chunkiness is desired).

To better control how chunky or smooth the remoulade becomes, we recommend using a food processor to pulse the ingredients together. This way, the parsley and capers will be finely chopped, but not blended into the remoulade, which would tint its orange-hued color green. If you only have a blender, simply pulse the ingredients (instead of blending in long segments) until very finely chopped.

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