The traditional appetizer known as “Pigs in a Blanket” is always a crowd-pleaser. At every party I’ve ever been to, these are always the first thing to disappear, and there’s a solid reason for that. Hot dogs made entirely of beef are rolled up in crescent roll dough, loaded with various cheeses, and then baked in butter flavored with garlic. They are cheesy, simple to prepare, and quite addicting.
Check out these Pizza Stuffed Crescent Rolls, our favorite Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels, and these Mozzarella Sticks for more simple appetizers that can be cut into bite-sized pieces.
Pigs in a Blanket
Pigs in blankets are one of the few things in life that everyone in my family and I enjoy more than anything else. It’s one of those comforting appetizers that I used to eat when I was a kid and has remained one of my favorites all the way into adulthood. What’s not to adore about it? After being wrapped in pliable crescent roll dough, loaded with cheese, baked, and then coated with an absolutely addicting garlic butter, salty all-beef hot dogs get the crescent roll treatment. Heaven on earth, in its literal form
Pigs in a Blanket are one of our favorite foods to eat as an appetizer, but we enjoy them just as much when they are served for dinner over a sizable salad and some grilled vegetables. When the kids are happy, the adults are happy.
Pigs in a blanket can be prepared in a myriad of various ways, but the one that my family and I enjoy the most is the one with which I was raised: it consists of standard crescent roll dough, American cheese, and hot dogs. This is everything you will need to get started:
The ingredients for Pigs in a Blanket
- The dough for crescent rolls: Since I learned to make pigs in a blanket with crescent roll dough as a child, that is the type of dough I continue to use now. You may also make pigs in a blanket with puff pastry if you want to make them a little more fancy. You will still get the same result, but the puff pastry will give you a slightly more flaky and crunchy texture, while the crescent roll dough will give you a more tender and sugary texture. It’s all about taste and preference, really!
- Hot dogs: I use hot dogs made entirely of beef, but you can use whatever you choose! Turkey dogs or even chicken hot dogs could work with this recipe instead.
- Cheese: In this recipe, I like to use American cheese. It melts beautifully and provides the classic all-American flavor of pigs in a blanket, although cheddar cheese would also work perfectly in this application.
- Dijon mustard: This step is discretionary; however, when I make it for my family, I often prepare half of it with Dijon mustard and the other half without it. Simply spreading a small amount of mustard on each strip of dough, then rolling the hot dog as I normally would, is all that’s required on my end.
- Butter: You will need butter that has been seasoned and melted. In the event that you do not possess salted butter, this is not a problem; simply season the butter according to your preferences.
- Spices: Garlic powder and onion powder are both essential ingredients.
- Maldon salt: The addition of large flakes of salt is also discretionary, but it’s my favorite way to finish off these pigs in a blanket.
Instructions for Cooking Pigs in a Blanket
- Prepare the components of the dish: Integrity of the dough. Pull the dough apart into four rectangles using very light pressure. (If you were going to make traditional crescent rolls, they should already be in rectangles since each rectangle should have two triangles that are designed to be ripped apart.) To prevent the rectangle from crumbling when you cut it and roll the pigs in a blanket, use your fingers to squeeze the middles of the triangles together before you start.
- Cut each rectangle into three long strips by using a pizza cutter to make the cuts. They should be around 3/4 of an inch by 4 inches in size.
- The cheese should be sliced in half, and then each half should be sliced into thirds. There should be six bite-sized pieces of cheese in total.
- Cover them up: If using, spread a small amount of Dijon mustard on each of the pieces of dough before baking. At the very bottom of the strip of dough, a piece of cheese should be placed. On top of that, put a portion of the hot dog. Roll it up, then lay it on a baking sheet that has been covered in parchment paper.
- Bake: Bake for a total of 12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Prepare the garlic butter: Prepare the garlic butter: While the pigs in a blanket are cooking, melt the butter in a pot over low heat. Add the garlic powder and onion powder and stir to combine. Brush the pigs in a blanket with the melted butter as soon as they emerge from the oven. Salt flakes from the sea should be sprinkled on top.
Pigs in a Blanket Sauce
When it comes to a sauce for pigs in a blanket, you have a lot of different alternatives to choose from. We often just use ketchup and mustard as our condiments when we serve them. But here are some other choices that are available to you:
- Chipotle ketchup: To make the sauce, combine a little ketchup with adobo sauce or chipotle powder.
- Create a creamy dipping sauce by combining ketchup and mayonnaise.
- Combine a very small amount of Dijon mustard with the mayonnaise to add some acidity to the dish.
- Honey mustard sauce
Are you able to prepare them in advance?
You can have the preparations ready the day before, cover them with plastic wrap, and then bake them just before serving.
Alternate Ingredients, as well as Helpful Hints and Advice for Cooking
- Alternately, you could use puff pastry or even pizza dough in place of the crescent roll dough if that is what you already have on hand.
- If you want your pigs in a blanket on the spicy side, stir some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper into the garlic butter before you assemble the dish.
- You can use other cheeses, such as cheddar, pepper jack, or even gouda, for the American cheese.
- Be careful not to overcook them!
- You are welcome to substitute chicken or turkey hot dogs for beef ones if you choose.
What should you eat alongside pigs in a blanket?
- Along with the pigs in a blanket, you could also serve some of these tasty pretzel nibbles as an additional option for finger foods.
- Serve these hot dogs with the Best Chili Recipe Ever for a twist on the classic chili cheese dog.
- Try serving the pigs in a blanket alongside this uncomplicated yet satisfying Strawberry Avocado Salad if you want the pigs in a blanket to take center stage at your lunch.
| Homepage | Click Here |
| Appetizers | Click Here |