Breakfast Sausage, Mushroom, and Cheddar Rolls

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound breakfast sausage
• 10 ounces button mushrooms, finely chopped
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 pound puff pastry, thawed if frozen
• 1 egg, beaten
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Hot English or Dijon mustard for serving

Directions

1. Set a rack in the center of the oven, then heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Warm a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, add the breakfast sausages, and cook them until browned all over, about 4 minutes.
2. Take the sausages out of the skillet, keeping the rendered fat in the pan. Stir in the mushrooms and thyme, and cook until the mushrooms give off their moisture, the liquid cooks away, and the mushrooms start to take on a little color, about 7 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool.
3. When the mushrooms are cool, discard the thyme and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir the mushrooms together with the grated cheese and set the mixture aside.
4. Roll out the puff pastry and cut it into 10 equal rectangles. Spoon the mushroom-cheese mixture onto the pastry pieces, leaving 1 side of each rectangle uncovered.
5. Paint the uncovered pastry with beaten egg, then set a sausage on top of the mushroom mixture and wrap the pastry around it. Arrange the rolls on a foil-lined baking sheet, brush them with the remaining beaten egg, and finish with cracked pepper.
6. Bake until the pastry is golden and puffed, about 16 minutes. Serve hot, with mustard alongside for dipping.