Sweet and Spicy Pigs in a Blanket with Cheese Dip
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
55 mins
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Cook Time
55 mins
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Additional Time
30 mins
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Total Time
2 hrs 20 mins
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Servings
54 Pig
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Calories
64 kcal
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Cuisine
North American, American
Sweet and Spicy Pigs in a Blanket with Cheese Dip
Description
The dish begins by frying cocktail sausages in a neutral oil until warmed and lightly caramelized. A sauce of brown sugar, ketchup, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce is added and cooked until it coats the sausages thickly, lending a sweet and spicy glaze. After cooling, each mini sausage is wrapped with 1-inch strips of crescent roll dough, sealing the edges tightly.
Once wrapped, the pigs in a blanket are brushed with an egg wash and baked at 350°F until the dough is golden. Accompanying the savory bites is a habanero cheese dip made by melting shredded Monterey Jack (or pepper jack) cheese with evaporated milk, cornstarch, spicy mustard, and cayenne pepper, incorporating finely chopped de-seeded habanero for heat and flavor complexity.
The resulting appetizer pairs the satisfying chew of flaky dough with the mildly sweet, spicy sausages and a creamy, piquant dip. This makes it appealing for gatherings where guests enjoy snacking and dipping.
For an alternative, puff pastry can substitute crescent dough, baking at a slightly higher temperature with a similar timing until golden brown.
Ingredients
Spicy and Sweet Pigs in a Blanket
- 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 1.5 lbs cocktail sausage I use Smokies, small
- 3 tbsp brown sugar packed
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper I use a heaped tsp because we love it spicy!
- ¼ cup tomato ketchup
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb crescent roll dough 2 sheets, sheet
- 1 egg lightly beaten (for the egg wash)
Habanero Cheese Dip (slightly adapted from Serious Eats)
- 8 oz Monterey jack cheese or pepper jack cheese, shredded
- ½ habanero pepper de-seeded and chopped finely. Use less if you're using pepper jack cheese
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 can evaporated milk
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp mustard spicy
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
Spicy and Sweet Pigs in a Blanket
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, fry the sausages in the pan until they are heated through, and some caramelization starts to occur.
- Add the sugar, tomato ketchup, cayenne pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Mix with the sausages until they are coated with the mix and fry them for a few more minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the sausages completely (as seen in the pictures in the post).
- Remove from the heat and let them cool down to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.
- Place one crescent dough sheet on a lightly floured surface.
- Cut 1 inch-wide strips using a pizza cutter or knife. Cut each strip into 3 - 4 pieces (depending on how thick your cocktail sausages are).
- Wrap each mini sausage with a strip of the crescent dough, and pinch the edges to seal.
- Place the wrapped sausages on a parchment paper-lined baking tray.
- Brush each of them with an egg wash, and bake in preheated oven for 10 - 12 minutes, until the crescent dough is golden brown (please see recipe note about using puff pastry in place of crescent dough).
- Remove from the oven once baked, and let them cool down for a few minutes. Serve warm, or at room temperature, with dipping sauces.
Habanero Cheese Dip
- Grate the cheese using the large holes of a box grater (or equivalent). Toss the cheese with the cornstarch, until well-mixed.
- In a saucepan, combine the cornstarch coated cheese, evaporated milk, cayenne pepper, habanero and mustard. Heat over medium-low heat to gently heat the milk-cheese mix. Mix gently and frequently until the cheese has completely melted and you have a smooth, thick cheese sauce. You can add more evaporated milk (or cream) to thin out the sauce if you like (I add a few tbsp of cream to the cheese sauce every time I want to heat it up again).
- Season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve warm with the spicy and sweet pigs in a blanket.
Notes
- Puff pastry can be used instead of crescent dough; bake at 375°F for 15–20 minutes until golden.
- Adjust habanero amount in the cheese dip for preferred heat; removing seeds reduces spiciness.
- Use small cocktail sausages suitable for wrapping with 1-inch dough strips.
- Brushing the dough with egg wash before baking helps achieve a golden, shiny crust.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 54Pig
Amount Per Serving
Calories 64 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1piece | |
| Calories | 64kcal | 3% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 9mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 119mg | 5% |
| Potassium | 33mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 81IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 49mg | 5% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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