Buzz
Pigs in a blanket are my go-to appetizer at every casual get-together. I expect them at least three times a year—on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and at whatever Super Bowl party I attend. If they’re not there, I’ll definitely mention it. These bite-sized delights combine sweet, buttery dough from a pressurized can with a salty, smoky cocktail wiener in a perfect, dip-worthy bite. Plus, you can make around 40 of them for less than $10, which makes them ideal for both hosts and guests. While it’s hard to improve on a perfect dish, I’m offering a few fun twists on the classic little pigs.
Scallion Pain d’Epi Appetizer
This creation is a fusion of French pain d’épi (wheat stalk bread) and Asian scallion hot dog buns, bringing all the rich flavors of our beloved American sausage treat. The shape of this bun is perfect for tearing apart and dunking into your favorite sauce, or if you're feeling generous, sharing with someone special. To create the signature wheat stalk shape, simply slice your dough-wrapped dog at an angle.
Ingredients (Makes 6 servings):
6 hot dogs
1 tube (8 ounces) of crescent roll dough
Egg wash
1 scallion, chopped
Set your oven to 375℉ to preheat.
Lay out the crescent roll dough on your workspace. If the dough is perforated into triangles, gently press the lines together without shrinking the dough. Cut the dough horizontally down the middle to create two smaller rectangles. A standard hot dog will fit comfortably along the edge, with a little dough hanging over both ends.
Create a giant pig in a blanket by wrapping the dough tightly around each hot dog, sealing the dough where it meets. Slice the dough and repeat with each hot dog. By rolling tightly, you’ll get 3 hot dogs on each side, totaling 6.
Place the wrapped hot dogs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Slice each hot dog at an angle five or six times from one end to the other. Be careful not to slice all the way through! Just cut deep enough to go through the hot dog, but not the dough at the bottom.
Start at one end and gently shift each hot dog segment over, positioning the cut side slightly upwards. Alternate the positioning from side to side for each segment. To give it a more pain d’épi look, you can even shape a little point at the top of each dough section.
Brush the dough, hot dog, and surface with an egg wash, then sprinkle with chopped scallions.
Bake at 375℉ for 15 minutes.
Everything Bagel Little Smokies
You can certainly bake these as individual buns, but they shine as a pull-apart bread. For those of you who love baking, feel free to make your own pizza dough, but I recommend a pre-made wheat pizza dough (I used a herb-infused dough from Trader Joe’s for this). Be generous with the cream cheese filling, as these little guys will puff up. Shaping them into a circle gives the appearance of a giant bagel, and more importantly, leaves space in the middle for that perfect bowl of guacamole, cheese dip, ranch and carrots, or buffalo dip.
Ingredients (Makes 8 buns):
1 16-ounce package of pre-made pizza dough
4 ounces (½ package) of cream cheese
1 tablespoon of everything bagel seasoning, plus extra for sprinkling
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 chopped scallion
8-16 little smokies
Egg wash
Preheat your oven to 425℉. Lightly oil a cast iron skillet or grease and line a cake pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, everything bagel seasoning, salt, and chopped scallion. Set aside.
Cut the little smokies in half and set them aside.
Working with cold, unproofed pizza dough, stretch it into a rough rectangle. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and press each one into a flat disk, about 4 inches in diameter.
Spoon two teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each dough piece, then place two or three halves of the little smokies on top of the cream cheese. Fold the dough edges up to enclose the filling like a little purse, pinching the seams to seal them. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces, then place the buns seam-side down in your cast iron skillet.
Loosely cover the buns and allow them to proof for 30 minutes.
Once proofed, brush the tops with an egg wash and sprinkle with additional everything bagel seasoning.
Bake at 425℉ for 25 minutes.
Little Smokie Chili Buckets
I’m a huge fan of chili dogs and I believe every baseball stadium concession stand should have a chili dispenser right next to the ketchup and mustard. While that dream may not come true, I took matters into my own hands with this party-friendly recipe. Feel free to pile on more chili or cheese before serving; the fillings tend to settle as they bake.
Ingredients (Makes 12 chili buckets):
12-pack of King’s Hawaiian rolls
¾ -1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
7.5 oz (½ can) of chili
12 little smokies (cut in half)
Preheat your oven to 350℉.
Take the rolls out of their packaging and place them, still connected, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. With a paring knife, carve out the center of each roll, leaving a ¼-inch thick wall around the sides and ¼-inch of bread at the bottom. If necessary, use a fork to gently scrape away a bit more from the bottom for better control. In case you remove too much, you can press some of the removed bread scraps into the base. (Keep any leftover roll centers for breadcrumbs or bread pudding.)
Using about ¼ cup in total, add a small amount of shredded cheddar to the bottom of each roll. Then, spoon two teaspoons of chili into each opening, followed by pressing two halves of the little smokie sausages into each roll.
If the rolls are filled to the top, sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over them. If there’s still room, feel free to add another sausage half or more chili. Finish by topping each roll with shredded cheese. Bake at 350℉ for 15 minutes.
