Pigs in a Blanket are the ultimate old school party food…and I’ve taken the classic and amped up the flavor while keeping it easy. A brush of mustard on the pastry, a sprinkle of everything seasoning on top, and a sweet and tangy dipping sauce really sets this recipe apart!
Pigs In A Blanket Are Everyone’s Favorite Party Appetizer!
Let me start by saying that I am absolutely not reinventing the wheel here. What I’m doing is taking the wheel and jazzing it up. Everyone has had/heard of/made Pigs In a Blanket. They’re nostalgic and classic. They might not be “high-brow” food, but I guarantee is you serve a plate of these to guests they will be the gone in a flash.
And today I’m taking that classic formula and adding a few simple flavor-boosters to make these the best cocktail weiners you have ever had!
What Are Pigs In A Blanket?
Simply put, Pigs In A Blanket are hot dogs, wrapped in pastry. You can use full-sized hot dogs as a meal, or my preference is using small cocktail weiners (or “Lil’ Smokies”) which can be found over by the hot dogs in your supermarket as an appetizer.
Cocktail weiners are pre-cooked miniature smoked sausages, much like a hot dog, and are generally made form a combination of pork and beef and they are the perfect size for this appetizer recipe.
You wrap the pre-cooked sausage in crescent dough and bake it until golden brown!
What Makes This Recipe Unique?
Like I mentioned, I took the basic recipe and amped it up with a few simple additions:
- I brush mustard on the inside of the pastry before rolling them up to add flavor from the inside out! Don’t worry if you aren’t a mustard fan, because if you don’t know it’s there, you won’t be able to detect it. It’s a subtle layer of flavor that just enhances the sausage. If you do love mustard you can add more than the recipe calls for, or just wait until the dipping sauce to get your mustard fix!
- Top them with seasoning! Traditionally you would leave the tops of the pastry plain, but this is the perfect place to add a little more flavor! I brush the top of the pastry with an egg white to act like glue for the seasoning, while also giving them a pretty sheen as they bake. I use Everything bagel seasoning on mine because it is adds a lot of flavor. But you can use any herb or seasoning blend you prefer! You could even brush with melted butter instead of the egg white and sprinkle with garlic powder and Parmesan cheese for a garlic twist!
Ingredients:
- crescent dough
- dijon mustard
- cocktail weiners
- egg white
- everything bagel seasoning
How To Make Pigs In A Blanket:
- I like to use a large round baking dish, like a pizza pan, for this recipe. Arranging the pigs in a blanket in a circular fashion just makes for a pretty presentation. So I line a large pizza pan with parchment paper. You can alternately just use a rectangular baking sheet and arrange them in rows.
- Unroll your crescent roll dough onto a cutting board and brush the dough with mustard. I cut each perforated triangle into about 4 pieces. Of course they aren’t exact in size, but the dough easily stretches, making it easy to wrap around the small sausage. Wrap each cocktail weiner with the dough, with the mustard side on the inside. If you are using an unperforated sheet of dough, you will just need to cut the dough into (approximately) 1- inch x 3- inch strips. Don’t get too hung up on the size of the dough, it’s very forgiving. You just want to make sure you have enough for all your sausages.
- Place the wrapped sausages onto your prepared baking pan in your desired arrangement.
- Brush the top of the dough with a lightly whisked egg white and sprinkle on Everything Bagel seasoning. If you can use any combination of seasonings on top that you prefer. Or leave them plain.
- Bake for at 375°F for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown.
Do You Have To Use Canned Crescent Rolls?
This recipe is written using canned crescent roll dough, because it’s easy to find and works perfectly for this recipe.
If you would prefer not to use crescent dough here are a few other options:
- Puff Pastry. You will need to thaw frozen puff pastry out completely before cutting into strips. You will also need to increase the baking temperature to 400°F.
- Pizza Dough. I have tried this and it works, but I don’t prefer it, just because the dough is a little chewier than a crescent dough or pastry. BUT it will work! I also recommend increasing the oven temperature to 400°F.
- Canned Biscuits. This method is a little more time consuming, but it will work! You can roll out the canned biscuits using a rolling pin and then slice and wrap!
What If You Don’t Have Everything Seasoning?
No problem! I like using “Everything Seasoning” because it packs a of of flavor. But you can certianly use any seasoning blend you prefer. Even a steak seasoning, like Montreals would be great.
If you are worried about what to use just sprinkle a little garlic salt on top and you will be good to go!
You can make your own everything seasoning using a combination of these ingredients:
- Poppy Seeds
- Sesame Seeds – white and black
- Minced Dried Garlic
- Minced Dried Onion
- Flaked Sea Salt
What Is A Good Dipping Sauce For Pigs In A Blanket?
I have included a FANTASTIC dipping sauce within the recipe. It is a perfect sweet and tangy blend. Here’s what you will need:
- Cranberry sauce
- Dijon Mustard
- Brown Sugar
You can really get creative here with substitutes as well. Sub in honey for the brown sugar! Use another kind of jam/chutney/preserves in place of the cranberry sauce! I like cranberry sauce here because it’s tangy and sweet, but go ahead and make it your own!
How To Store and Reheat:
These are best (in my opinion) if served warm right out of the oven. But if you made too many and want to save some for later store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat you can microwave them, or heat them in a preheated oven for about 5 minutes.
Looking For More Appetizer Ideas? Try These:
Description:
My version of Pigs in a Blanket is an easy spin on the classic appetizer, adding a huge flavor punch!
Ingredients:
- 2 (8- ounce) packages crescent dough
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard, divided
- 24 ounces cocktail weiners
- 1 egg white, lightly whisked
- 2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning
Dipping sauce:
- 1/3 cup cranberry sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large circular baking dish or pizza pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll out the tubes of crescent roll dough onto a cutting board. Brush the dough with mustard. If you are using perforated crescent dough, cut each triangle into 4 pieces. They won’t be equal, which is fine, because you can stretch it. Wrap each cocktail weiner with the dough, with the mustard side on the inside.
- Place them on the prepared baking sheet in a large circle with another circle inside, as pictured. Alternately you can just place on the baking sheet in rows.
- Brush the top of the dough with the egg white and sprinkle on the Everything Bagel seasoning. If you can use any combination of seasonings on top that you prefer. Or leave them plain.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown.
- Dipping Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, brown sugar, and dijon mustard.
- Serve warm.
Notes:
Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Keywords:: cookies and cups, pigs in a blanket, cocktail weiners, lil smokies, hot dogs, appetizer
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