Pigs in a Blanket

I could probably classify these pigs in a blanket in a few different ways, as they are commonly known as sausages wrapped in some sort of dough, and baked. I have seen them as breakfast sausages wrapped in pancakes, as well as a hot dog, either wrapped in the standard crescent roll, or bagel dough.  I wanted to do something a bit different, making these pigs in a blanket more adult friendly.

Granted, two of my kids love hot dogs, and love crescent rolls, and as much as I love them, I wanted to surprise them, as well as a handful of adults during the most recent super bowl party. I came up with the idea for a couple of reasons. One being that I tend to make a batch of pizza dough at least once a week, and secondly it seems as though I am roasting a lot of garlic lately. The combination of garlic, pizza dough, and a hot dog sounded really great already, but then I put a couple of more twists into the picture.

If you are looking for a really great pigs in a blanket recipe, then I think you found the right place. Feel free to use store bought pizza dough, or if you have local pizzeria, see if you can hit them up for some dough, or make mine. Pizza dough is too easy to make, takes just a bit of time to rise, and then you are good to use it anyway you please, as in this case, the pigs in a blanket.  Lets get started.

Ingredients:

• Basic pizza dough
• All Beef Hot Dogs (Franks, Wieners) I like using Hebrew Nationals
• 1 head of garlic, roasted
• 2 tbsp of sharp cheddar cheese, per pig in a blanket
• 4 tbsp of Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• water
• flour

To make the pigs in a blanket, make sure your pizza dough is ready, and the garlic is roasted. In a small bowl, add the roasted garlic, either by squeezing it out of the bulb, or by using a fork. Place the mustard in the same bowl, and mash the garlic and mustard together. Set aside.

Take a small ball of dough, roughly larger than a golf ball, but small than a baseball, and add it to a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a bit of flour on the top of the ball, and press it down with the palm of your hand. Add a bit more flour to the top, and get your rolling pin out. Begin rolling it out to about a six inch diameter, lightly flouring if it begins to stick.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place a hot dog on the top of the dough, and figure out where you can fold it over to make the seal, allowing you to trim any dough. You want the edges of the hot dog to be sticking out, and want just enough dough to make a seal. Once you find that, roll the dough back, and make your cuts. One ball is probably going to yield two blankets.

Next, roll your hot dog about half way, then place about a tablespoon of the dijon mustard and garlic mash near the edge of the hot dog, add the cheddar cheese. Dip your brush, or finger in some water, and run along one edge of the dough. This will help make a nice seal for the blanket. Pinch the edges together, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper if you have it, or a lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat the process with the blankets. Before baking, lightly brush olive oil on to the tops of the blankets.

Bake in the oven for nearly 20 minutes, or until you have a light, golden brown dough. Remove and let cool for a few minutes as the cheese and mustard are pretty hot.

When you are ready to plate, feel free to serve with other condiments that you or your guests might like such as ketchup, or relish. Taking a bite into these pigs in a blanket is something wonderful. The inside is nice and creamy, and the mustard softens with the garlic, allowing for a really great experience. My kids loved them, and so did the adults. That always says something in my book. I hope you enjoy.