When we were planning our wedding, Shane was pretty content to let me make most of the decisions. There were really only 2 things he had strong opinions about: the music and pigs in a blanket. I remember as we searched for a venue, one of the few times he’d speak up was to verify that the chef would be able to include pigs in a blanket among the hor d’oeuvres. It all worked out, and they were served at our wedding, so he was a happy guy π These days, it’s actually pretty rare that we eat pigs in a blanket. Occasionally, I buy the frozen ones from Trader Joe’s as a treat and a few times we’ve had them at a get-together with friends, but that’s about the extent of it.
Until a few weeks ago anyway. Yudith of Blissfully Delicious shared make-ahead pigs in a blanket and I immediately knew I had to make them for Shane. As luck would have it, I already had the magazine with the recipe, but just hadn’t had a chance to read it yet (happens all too often…). In the past, when we’ve had this treat with friends it’s been using the refrigerated crescent roll dough, and though no one’s ever complained, I just thought it’d be fun to attempt a homemade version at least once. This recipe uses a cream biscuit dough to encase the hot dogs and it’s pretty quick and easy to whip up. Best of all, as the title suggests, you can make these ahead of time, pop them in your freezer, and just bake off a few at a time as you need them.
When I made them, I baked some of the pigs in a blanket almost immediately (I only froze them for 30 minutes), and I saved the others to test the make-ahead theory. Happily, the ones I baked a week later were just as good as the first batch π The biscuits surrounding the hot dogs are fluffy with a golden brown crust, they’re perfect finger food. I added some cheddar cheese to the biscuit dough for fun, and though the flavor wound up being pretty subtle, I liked it. The recipe received rave reviews from the resident expert. I enjoyed them too – in fact, this is pretty much the only way you’ll get me to eat hot dogs.
Make-Ahead Cheesy Pigs in a Blanket
from The Best of America’s Test Kitchen 2012
2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 oz) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
6 hot dogs
Add 2 cups of the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse just to combine. Add the shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Dump the mixture into a large bowl and fold in the cheese until evenly distributed. Add the cream, stirring to bring the dough into a rough ball. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead 8-10 times, or until smooth.
Roll the dough into a rectangle measuring about 15×10-inches (you can add a little more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking). Brush the dough all over with the beaten egg (this helps keep the dough and hot dog together). Cut the rectangle into six 5-inch squares (cut in thirds the long way, and half on the short side). Add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour to a shallow dish. Pat the hot dogs dry with paper towels then dredge them in the flour, shaking off any excess. Working with one hot dog at a time, place it in the center of one of the squares, then roll the dough around the hot dog, pinching at the seam to close. Cut each dough-covered hot dog into 4 pieces and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with all hot dogs until you’ve used all the dough.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer and let the pigs in a blanket get firm – this will take about 30 minutes. At this point, you can either proceed to bake them (see below) or transfer them to a resealable plastic bag and freeze for up to 1 month.
To bake: preheat oven to 425 F. Bake the pigs in a blanket for 20-25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and fairly firm to the touch. Let cool slightly before serving.
Makes 24 pigs in a blanket
Such a great idea to add cheese to this, yum!
Mal @ The Chic Geek
I used to review recipes for the Test Kitchen! I haven’t had pigs in a blanket for a looong time. Usually I’ve had them wrapped in puff pastry or a croissant. I like this take on it!
These were really tasty, thanks for making them!
I am far to lazy to make the dougy myself, but give me some puff pastry and I will know even more than I do how lucky a man your hubby is.
Sadly, there are too many ways to get me to eat a hot dog, but I’m always welcome to one more. I like the cheese you added to the crust.
Awesome….
visit @my blog for my first event in ur free time π
Preeti
Ongoing Event–Color n Sweet-HOLI FEST
Preeti’s Kitchen Life
What a fun and easy recipe! They look so delicious, too. Thanks for sharing Tracey!
Love the idae of adding cheese!
I used to make these with my mom all the time! π also, I wanted to tell that I really love your blog and check it everyday, all the recipes that I tried were delicious, and I love ur photos. I made the Chocolate Oatmeal cookies a few days ago, they turned out amazing (I posted a photo on my blog) and I gave the recipe to my mom as well! Thank you!
Definitely cannot recall the last time I had pigs in a blanket. And love that these can be made ahead of time.
These make me smile…my mind is clearly in the gutter π
We loved these too Tracey; very easy and tasty finger foods. Handy to have in the freezer. Thanks for shout out.
I so love these. Make ahead snacks are always a winner in my book!
So fun! And the make-ahead factor is great. These would be great to have on hand for company – I’m sure this would be a crowd-pleaser!
Ooh, B&G might even eat these! I usually make mini pigs in blankets with Lil Smokies & a simple bread dough. But I love the idea of adding cheese to the dough.
My guys would LOVE these. And the cheese – great addition!!
My first memory of eating pigs in a blanket is my mom cooking pancakes and then rolling them around a hotdog, and then my sister and I would dip them in ketchup. that’s what we would have for either breakfast or dinner. They were fantastic, and now I kind of want one π But these look amazing as well. I haven’t had a pig in a blanket in the longest time. I’ll have to try these some time.
I haven’t had these in such a long time! My husband wanted pasta at our wedding. It was one of his few requests too…and we ended up with a pasta bar as part of our meal. I loved it!
The only way to make pigs in a blanket better is to add cheese! I’ve been meaning to try my own dough too – looks simple but delicious!
These were absolutely amazing. I made them last weekend and they were devoured! Next time I’m making a double batch so I can always have some in the freezer! Thanks so much for the genius cheesy crust!
When baking, do you put them frozen into the oven or thaw them first? Thanks for sharing your recipe!
@Nikki – You can put them in the oven directly from the freezer, no need to defrost first. They might need an extra minute or two but they are great from the freezer. Enjoy!
Going to make these for my kids school lunches. Thank you!! Can’t wait to try them yumm!! π