Pigs in a Blanket

January 24, 2018  //  26 Comments »
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Pigs in a Blanket is an easy recipe and requires only two ingredients (three if you want cheese!). Simply wrap mini hot dogs in crescent rolls and bake… Perfect for kids, parties and the Super Bowl!

Mini hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls on parchment paper.

Pigs in a blanket… what a name, right?!

If you can believe it, only around five or ten years ago did I realize that most of the world knew these mini hot dogs wrapped in crescent roll dough as “pigs in a blanket”. Growing up, my mom often made the full-size hot dog version of these as a special treat, but she called them “crescent dogs” or “crescent roll hot dogs”, and that’s the only name I ever knew them by.

In fact, my grandma would make stuffed cabbage rolls on a fairly regular basis and she called THOSE pigs in a blanket, so I was utterly confused when I saw a recipe for “pigs in a blanket” that were my beloved crescent dogs, ha! I’ve also seen pigs in a blanket refer to a link of sausage wrapped up in a pancake, so there’s that, too. Whew!

MY OTHER RECIPES

BUT! Enough about the name, let’s talk about these retro, iconic, and utterly addicting hot dogs, because they are SO. GOOD.

A sheet pan with baked pigs in a blanket.

How Do You Make Pigs in a Blanket?

It seriously could not be easier, and you only need two ingredients:

  • A package of the cocktail-size mini hot dogs (I think a popular brand is Lil’ Smokies)
  • Two packages of crescent roll dough
  • (And cheese if you want to do some cheesy pigs in a blanket!)

You unroll the crescent roll dough, separate the triangles, slice them into strips, then roll up the little mini hot dogs. So quick and simple! If you want to do full-size hot dogs, simply skip the step of slicing the crescent rolls into three, and roll one dog in each full triangle of crescent roll dough.

Crescent roll dough triangles sliced into three strips.

Mini hot dogs rolled up in crescent roll dough.

If you want to go the cheese route (and seriously, I ALWAYS wanted cheese in mine when my mom made these!), simply use a paring knife to cut a slit in the hot dog and stuff a little piece of cheese in there, then roll up like the others.

I use American cheese because that’s what my mom used when I was a kid, and it’s my husband’s and my kids’ favorite, it melts wonderfully, and it’s just plain good. However, feel free to use cheddar, pepper jack, whatever you’d like!

Mini hot dog with cheese stuffed inside sitting on strip of crescent roll dough.

Mini hot dogs with cheese rolled up in crescent roll dough.

The result?

Seriously cheeeeeeesy pigs in a blanket. LOVE.

Cheesy pigs in a blanket stacked on top of each other.

Alternatives for Wrapping Pigs in a Blanket

I grew up with crescent dogs wrapped in crescent roll dough – it’s the only thing my mom ever used, but there are other options if you’d like to try some other things:

  • Biscuit dough
  • Puff pastry
  • If you want to go full-on homemade pigs in a blanket, you could always experiment with homemade biscuit dough, homemade puff pastry or crescent rolls (I have a homemade crescent roll recipe, if you’re interested!).
  • You could even make crescent roll hot dog mummies for Halloween!

Whether you’re looking for an easy appetizer or snack for a kids’ party, for the Super Bowl, game night or your run-of-the-mill Saturday night, these pigs in a blanket (or maybe they’re piglets in a blanket since they’re mini?!) will ALWAYS be a sure-fire hit.

Every time I’ve made these recently, everyone goes crazy for them and is constantly exclaiming, “I can’t remember the last time I had these!” If there’s one thing I’ve learned, people love food that brings back all sorts of warm and cozy memories, and these crescent-wrapped hot dogs do just that for me.

(Mmmmm flaky crescent roll dough!)

A stack of pigs in a blanket with one bitten into.

Want More Crescent Roll Recipes?

Packaged crescent roll dough is seriously retro, but some of my most favorite recipes that I remember my mom making when I was younger use it, so I have a total soft spot in my heart for it. Here are a few more:

One year ago: Top 10 List: Best Muffin Recipes
Five years ago: Oreo Cheesecake Bars
Six years ago: Fig Cookie Bars
Ten years ago: Chewy Chocolate-White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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Pigs in a Blanket

Yield: 4 dozen

Prep:25 minutes

Cook:20 minutes

Total:45 minutes

An easy recipe that requires only two ingredients (three if you want cheese!). Simply wrap mini hot dogs in crescent rolls and bake!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (28-ounce) package mini hot dogs, cocktail franks or “Lil Smokies”
  • 2 packages crescent rolls
  • Sliced American cheese (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
  2. Unroll the crescent rolls, separate the triangles, and then using a pastry cutter or pizza cutter, slice each triangle into three strips.
  3. If you are using cheese, cut a slit into the center of a mini hot dog and place a small piece of cheese into the slit.
  4. Place a mini hot dog on the wide end of the strip and roll up. Place point-side-down on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the crescent rolls (you may have leftover mini hot dogs).
  5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve plain or with ketchup and mustard on the side. These are best served warm or at room temperature the day they are made, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes:

  • If you want to make full-size hot dogs, simply use regular hot dogs and a full crescent roll triangle for each hot dog (do not slice into three strips). Bake as directed above.

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!

All images and text ©Brown Eyed Baker, LLC.

An overhead shot of mini hot dogs wrapped in crescent roll dough.

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posted in Meat & Poultry Appetizers, Pastry Appetizers, Super Bowl
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