A shortcut version of klobasneks, a savory Louisiana-Style kolache, stuffed with boudin, cheese and jalapenos.
Shortcut Louisiana-Style Savory Boudin Kolaches
For me, kolaches were like a best kept secret around here in South Mississippi.
In fact, while some of you grew up enjoying some version of the original sweetened Czech version, growing up, I didn't even know they existed!
I also didn't know that kolaches are actually available around here locally, until I poked around the internet recently and discovered that indeed a few bakeries and doughnut shops around the Coast actually do offer them!
Interestingly enough though, is that the doughnut shops and bakeries around here seem to sell mostly the savory American version of kolaches and not so much the original Czech sweet version.
I know.
I'm also surprised that the sweet Czech versions of kolaches weren't more well known to me, considering so many Czech immigrants came to live in the Biloxi area - my Mama's side of the family being one of them. For some reason, I haven't even been able to locate one recipe in our local cookbooks for them though.
Just a quick reminder.... this is a blog, not just a "recipe site," and yes, there is a difference! I want to first thank all of you who have supported my work over the years, but if you aren't interested in the chit chat, info, photos, tips and such in a post, as always, you'll find the complete recipe text with measurements and instructions, as well as a printable document, a little bit further down the page. Just swipe or scroll down to the bottom of the post!
So, what is a kolache?
- Traditionally speaking, kolaches are a sweet Czech pastry, shaped into flat discs, a little like a Danish and with a dollop of cream cheese or fruit filling, or both, in the center.
- A klobasniky is a savory American-Czech pastry, similar to a sausage roll, most often filled with sausage though a variety of fillings, such as scrambled eggs, ham, cheese or sauteed onions, peppers or other vegetables are also popular. Klobasneks are a totally Texas invention y'all that became a savory fusion of the original sweet version.
- Texas calls them kolaches, whether they are sweet or not, although to avoid confusion they often include klobasniky parenthetically on recipes for the savory version. Some folks seem to get a little upset over the savory ones being called kolaches, even though savory kolaches are everywhere in Texas and highly featured at festivals all around the state.
- The ones I've seen here in Mississippi are also mostly savory, sometimes simply referred to as pigs in a blanket with a peek of sausage showing on the ends of the pastry. They are simply called kolaches, with no distinguishment between the sweet kolaches, which seem to be more rare here, and the savory kolaches.
- Louisiana also just calls the savory ones kolaches with no apology or explanation otherwise. Theirs are usually made from boudin, andouille sausage or seafood and very often rather than a from-scratch dough, home cooks use this frankly brilliant shortcut dough.
- Bottom line? In the United States the term kolaches represent both sweet and savory versions of this treat.
Here's how to make these easy, shortcut, savory boudin-filled Louisiana kolaches, aka klobasneks!What is boudin?
Boudin is a link sausage, stuffed with highly seasoned pork or other specialty meats, including shrimp, crawfish and alligator, rice and seasoning vegetables, stuffed into an edible casing. You can make boudin from scratch, but it's sold everywhere in Louisiana and even, yes here in Mississippi.
You'll need to first cook the boudin before preparing the kolaches, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Even though I'm only using 4 of these for a half recipe, I cooked the full package of 7, so I could freeze the rest for another recipe.
You can smoke them, pan fry them, bake them, grill them, or like me, air fry them! I pierced the boudin with the tines of a fork, sprayed them with a little olive oil and cooked them in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
To pan fry them, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a skillet and cook boudin until well browned, turning several times. Drain on a paper towel and set aside. Cut each in half, for 16 pieces. Peel away casings.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and gather up your ingredients. I'm shortcutting mine using crescent roll dough, adding pickled jalapeno, American cheese and finishing with a brush of egg white and some Everything Bagel seasoning. Mine is the Trader Joe brand, but there are others now - Badia, Newman's Own and McCormick, among others.
Line a baking sheet with a silpat, parchment paper or aluminum foil brushed with oil.
Some folks just remove the boudin from the casings and add the crumbled filling to the dough. The casings are edible, but I find that the kolaches hold up better with the boudin cooked, then sliced and the casings peeled away. Air frying also makes it super easy to do, while still leaving the form mostly intact without the crumbling. Boudin varies in size, so cut them to fit for the number of rolls you'll be making.
I'm adding some pickled jalapeno to mine, so drain those. (There's that Easy Greasy colander again y'all!) You could also use fresh jalapenos too, though I'd personally be tempted to blanch those like I do with my poppers first. And, of course, you can certainly leave them off as well.
I'm also adding some good ole American cheese that I've folded into quarters.
And here's the clincher. If you, like me, aren't exactly a pro-baker or one to fool with homemade dough much - canned crescent rolls. Yep. That's the shortcut. Unroll the crescents and separate along the perforations.
Add a square of cheese to the wide end and top with a jalapeno, if using. Sauteed onions and/or peppers would be a nice addition too!
Add a section of the boudin on top. See how nicely it stays together, even with the casing peeled away?
Begin rolling the dough over and around the boudin.
And roll it up.
I'm leaving one side of the kolache exposed to show a little bit of the boudin.
As you roll them, place them on the tray. Beat egg white with water until frothy.
Use a brush to dab the egg white all over the top of the rolls and sprinkle lightly with sesame or poppy seeds or bagel seasoning, if desired.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
So good y'all!
And there you have it... Louisiana-Style Savory Boudin Kolaches, shortcut style!
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