Homemade Pigs in a Blanket
When you think of traditional appetizers that are served at holiday parties, chances are the images that come to mind are trays of cheese cubes and rolled cold cuts, various oddly shaped canapes, and dainty, two-bite pastries. No appetizer says "small, intimate gathering" like homemade pigs in a blanket. This simple treat of cocktail wiener wrapped in pastry is a portable, tasty bit of neatly packaged comfort food. You can master this common man's delicacy if you understand a few tips, tricks and recipes.
The Basics
Pigs in a blanket is a two-ingredient recipe, so it can be easily doubled or tripled to accommodate any size crowd. The traditional recipe calls for two 8 oz. cans of crescent rolls and a 48 count package of cocktail sausages.
When baking these appetizers, make sure that you don't overload the oven. If you have a large crowd coming and are making many of these treats, bake them in batches. Do not alter the usual oven temperature (375 degrees) or the bake time (12 to 15 minutes). Pull the treats out of the oven when they are just beginning to turn brown because they can burn quickly. If using biscuits, divide each biscuit into thirds and flatten slightly before rolling.
Recipe Variations
The little cocktail sausages that often come to mind are not the only kind you can use. The type of sausage that you use as your "pigs" can vary widely. You can use gourmet, specialty sausages; hot dogs; bratwursts; breakfast sausages or any other sausage you prefer. Just cut them into two-inch pieces and cook thoroughly before wrapping them.
Replace the traditional crescent roll dough with biscuit dough for a southern twist. Use puff pastry to make sophisticated "Pork En Croute" (pork in crust). Or, you can make extra-large pigs in a blanket by wrapping whole cooked sausages in uncut crescent rolls.
Add other items, such as cheese, under the crust with your sausage before baking. You can also wrap your sausages in bacon instead of pastry to create an extra-special treat.
Tags: cocktail sausages, come mind, crescent rolls, Homemade Pigs Blanket, pigs blanket