Three Ways to Make Pigs in a Blanket Already Perfect, and Even Better
My most anticipated snack at any casual party is pigs in a blanket. I expect to see them at least three times a year – on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and at any Super Bowl party I attend. If they are gone, I will have something to say about it. These little pieces mix sweet, buttery dough wrapped in a pressurized cardboard jar and a salty smoky smoothie in one dunkable piece. Plus, you can roll up about 40 of them for less than $10, making them perfect for guests and hosts alike. It’s hard to improve on something flawless, so instead I’d like to offer you some new spins for your classic little piggies.
Green onion Pain d’Epi-tizer
This stylistic offspring of French pain d’epin (wheat stalk bread) and Asian green onion hot dog buns has all the flavors of our favorite American sausages. The shape of this bun is perfect for tearing it open and dipping it in the nearest sauce or, if you have a big heart, share it with someone who deserves it. The key to the attractive shape of the wheat stalk is to cut the pastry-wrapped dog at an angle.
Ingredients (yield: 6 servings):
- 6 hot dogs
- 1 8 oz tube of crescent-shaped roll dough
- egg wash
- 1 green onion (chopped)
Preheat oven to 375℉.
Unfold the dough into a crescent shape on a work surface. If you are working with perforated triangles, try smoothing out the dotted lines without reducing the overall size of the dough. Cut off the middle of the dough so that you have two smaller rectangles. A regular full hot dog will sit well along the edge with a little overhang at both ends.
Make a giant pig in a blanket – wrap the dough tightly around the hot dog until it touches the other side. Cut the dough there and seal it. Repeat with the next hot dog. If you roll tight you will get 3 dogs on each side for a total of 6.
Place wrapped hot dogs on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Cut each hot dog at an angle five or six times edge to edge. Don’t go all the way! Cut just enough to cut through the hot dog, but not the batter at the bottom.
Starting at one end, move the hot dog segment to one side, laying the cut side up slightly. Alternating from side to side, do this with each segment. You can even make a small dot of dough at the top of each segment to make it more like a pan d’epi.
Wash the surface, dough and dog with an egg and sprinkle with chopped green onions.
Bake at 375℉ for 15 minutes.
All Bagel Little Smokey
You can bake them as individual buns, but I think they make great bread that can be divided into pieces. Bakers, you can make your own pizza dough, but I like pre-made wheat pizza dough in a bag (and in this case I used Trader Joe’s herb dough). Put as many cream cheese toppings as will fit in each segment, because these little ones will puff. If you shape them into a circle, it looks like a giant bagel, but more importantly, there is room in the middle for a bowl of guac. Or cheese sauce. Or ranch and carrots. Or Buffalo sauce.
Ingredients (yield: 8 buns):
- 1 16 oz prepared pizza dough
- 4 ounces (½ package) cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon bagel seasoning + extra for sprinkling
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 green onion (chopped)
- 8-16 small smoky
- egg wash
Preheat oven to 425℉. Lightly oil a cast iron skillet or grease and line a baking dish with parchment.
Combine cream cheese, bagel seasoning, salt, and chopped scallions in a small bowl. Postpone.
Cut small hazes in half. Postpone.
Working with cold pizza dough (not proofed yet, we’ll do that later), stretch the dough into a rough rectangular shape. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Press each piece into a flat disc about four inches in diameter.
Place two teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture in the center and two or three small smokey halves on top of the cream cheese mixture. Raise the edges so they meet over the stuffing like a small purse. Pinch and pinch the edges. Repeat for all parts of the test. Place the buns seam side down in the cast iron skillet.
Cover loosely and let rest for 30 minutes.
When done, wash the tops of the eggs and sprinkle more bagel seasoning over everything.
Bake 425℉ for 25 minutes.
Little Smokey Chili Buckets
I am passionate about chili dogs. I think there should be a lever that releases hot chili peppers right next to the ketchup and mustard at the baseball stadium counters. I’m not likely to make that dream come true, so I took matters into my own hands with this party version. Feel free to add chili or cheese at the end; toppings settle a little in the oven.
Ingredients (yield: 12 buckets of chili):
- 12 packs of royal Hawaiian rolls
- ¾ -1 cup grated cheddar
- 7.5 ounces (½ cans) chili
- 12 small smokes (cut in half)
Preheat oven to 350℉.
Remove the rolls from the package and place them, still connected, on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Using a paring knife, cut through the middle of each roll, leaving a 1/4-inch wall on each side and a 1/4-inch piece of bread at the base. If you need to take a little more off the bottom, use a fork to scrape with more control. If you remove too much, just take a few discarded scraps and press them to the bottom. (Save the remaining bun centers for breadcrumbs or bread pudding.)
Using about ¼ cup, sprinkle a little shredded cheddar on the bottom of each bucket. Add two teaspoons of chili peppers to each hole, then press two small smokey halves into each roll.
If the bucket looks full to the brim, add the remaining shredded cheese. If there’s still room, feel free to add another sausage half or some chili. Finish by pressing grated cheese on top of each roll. Bake at 350℉ for 15 minutes.