Last week I made Pigs in a Blanket. It had been years since I’d made these party appetizers. I’m not sure why they had rotated off my list. But, I needed something a quick and easy for an induction ceremony my son was attending shortly after I would get home for work. Pigs in a Blanket are super easy to make and fast, so I decided to make this old family favorite.
How to Make Pigs in a Blanket
First, let me say that there are many ways to make Pigs in a Blanket. Different areas and different families all seem to do them just a little differently which is fine.
My Mom made homemade biscuit dough when she made Pigs in a Blanket. Then, she cut circles and wrapped them around hot dogs cut in half. My approach is similar, but I used canned biscuits, although I do still make scratch biscuits at home when I have extra time.
Basic Pigs in a Blanket Recipe
Ingredients:
- Meat (hot dog wieners cut in 1/3 pieces evenly or Lit’l Smokie sausages)
- Bread (homemade dough or canned biscuits)
- Cheese (optional)
- Condiments
Directions:
- Get out your Little Smokies or other cocktail wieners or just use regular hot dogs and cut them in 1/3 sections. I prefer hot dogs for this recipe, but any of the small meats will work.
- Make your biscuit dough or get canned biscuits. I get the 8 per can small sized biscuits (Southern style versus flaky). If you get large ones like Grands, then you may need to only halve the hot dogs or else cut the biscuits in smaller sections.
- Roll the dough out thinner or mash out canned biscuits with your fingers in an oblong shape and big enough to wrap around the meat selected.
- If you want cheese, then any sliced or good melting cheese like Velvetta works well. Don’t overdo it on the cheese, or it will squirt out during the baking and be messy.
- Likewise condiments can be used. Mom spread that on the bread before rolling up the Pigs in a Blanket. I just offer them on the side. When cooked, ketchup, for example, makes the bread look pink inside. Also, different people have different preferences on condiments.
- Take a piece of dough and spread with condiment if desired and add a small piece of cheese also if desired.
- Then, roll the dough around the wiener until the edges meet. Some people like the ends sticking out. Some have the meat more embedded. Either way is fine. Do note that the biscuit dough does expand, so keep that in mind when making Pigs in a Blanket.
- Place the Pigs in a Blanket with the seam side down to hold the bread portion in place.
- Bake for around 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. This can vary a bit depending on the type of dough or biscuit used. You’re just looking to cook the bread until done and browned.
I made up my batch of Pigs in a Blanket, and a couple packs of hot dogs rolled in Southern biscuits made a batch big enough to fill my largest Tupperware bowl (That’s-a-Bowl) which is really big.
The teens went wild for the Pigs in a Blanket, and a lot of the adults also had them on their plates at the party. The bowl came home empty, and there was a lot of food at this function.
So, if you need a quick and easy party appetizer recipe that is easy to make and inexpensive plus will feed a lot of people, Pigs in a Blanket are a good bet.
Other great easy and inexpensive appetizers:
Little Smokies - Roll out the crock pot (or you can do these stove top) and make some Lil Smokie sausage appetizers. There are lots of ways to make them, and Little Smokie sausages are popular when you go to group parties.
Rotel Cheese Dips - My boys go wild for these dips. The Rotel canned tomatoes with spices really rock. Add some cheese or meats and so on and get some chips, and you have some fabulous party dip.
Sausage Balls - How can you not love Biquick Sausage Balls? I know they are not healthy, but I sure do love them. My boys do too. We always make these around the holidays, and no matter how many I make, I never have any left.
Yummy Vegetable Dips - Yes. We do some healthy stuff in the South. Vegetables are popular. We do ramp them up with some dip. Minus health points for that. But, it's nice to have some delicious dip with the broccoli, carrots, and celery.
Cyndi Allison - Southern born and fed, Cyndi Allison is a college lecturer and newspaper advisor as well as being a freelance writer. She writes on ...
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