Recipe: The Easiest Pigs in a Blanket

updated Jan 29, 2020
Post Image
Credit: Joe Lingeman

These pigs in a blanket are so easy, you'll be taking them to every potluck and party this summer.

Serves10

Makes18 pieces

Prep20 minutes

Cook25 minutes

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Post Image
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Do you remember the absolute joy you’d feel when your mom would pop open a can of biscuit dough and a package of bite-sized sausages — meaning pigs and a blanket were on the horizon? Our version embraces that exuberance, but we’re upgrading the whole thing.

Thanks to our smart technique, you don’t have to individually wrap 50 tiny sausages to create the perfect bite of flaky, buttery pastry and smoky sausage (but more on that later). These are the easiest pigs in a blanket, and you’re going to be making them all summer long.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Full-Size Sausages Cut the Prep Time in Half

Here’s why these pigs in a blanket are so ingenious: Instead of meticulously wrapping a bunch of tiny hot dogs in canned biscuit dough, you wrap just a few sausages in puff pastry, bake them, and then slice them into bite-sized pieces.

Needless to say, the prep work for these pigs in a blanket is minimal. Buy your favorite puffy pastry — I love the one from Trader Joe’s — and 18 links of your favorite cooked sausage. Aidells sausages, which feature unexpected flavor combinations, are nice if you’re looking to really change things up, but I love keeping it simple with a smoky sausage like andouille.

Say Hello to Sausage in a Snuggie

You’ll begin by unwrapping the puff pastry, brushing it with mustard, cutting it into squares, and then tucking the sausages into their butter blankets of puff pastry. This is why we are dubbing these Sausage in a Snuggie — wrapping the whole sausage in puff pastry cuts down on prep work while also keeping the sausages from drying out in the hot oven.

Bake until the pastry is crisp and flaky, and then slice just before serving. (A serrated knife helps keep the crisp puff pastry intact.) Whatever you do, don’t skimp on mustard and ketchup for serving.

The Easiest Pigs in a Blanket

These pigs in a blanket are so easy, you'll be taking them to every potluck and party this summer.

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 25 minutes

Makes 18 pieces

Serves 10

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1

    large egg

  • 1 tablespoon

    water

  • All-purpose flour, for rolling (about 1/4 cup)

  • 2 sheets

    frozen puff pastry (from a 16- to 17.3-ounce package), thawed according to package directions, divided

  • 18

    fully cooked sausage links

  • 1/4 cup

    Dijon mustard

  • Optional toppings: Flaky salt, everything bagel seasoning

  • Ketchup and mustard, for serving

Instructions

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  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the egg and water in a small bowl and whisk to combine to make the egg wash.

  2. Lightly flour a cutting board. Unfold 1 sheet of the puff pastry on the cutting board and gently roll it into a 12-inch square. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut the puff pastry into 9 (4-inch) squares. Brush half of each square with mustard and the other half with the egg wash.

  3. Place a sausage in the middle of each square. Fold the mustard side up over the sausage, then continue to roll toward the egg-wash side until the sausage is completely rolled up in pastry. Place on the baking sheet seam-side down. Repeat assembling the remaining pigs in a blanket. Reserve the remaining egg wash.

  4. Freeze for 10 minutes. Brush the pigs in a blanket with a thin layer of egg wash. Sprinkle with flaky salt or everything bagel seasoning if desired.

  5. Bake until deeply golden-brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting crosswise into 1-inch pieces if desired and serving with mustard and ketchup.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.