These Sweet and Spicy Pigs in a Blanket are packed with flavor and are paired with a Habanero Spicy Cheese dip. Perfect appetizer for your game day or party menu!EASY - This recipe includes one extra step compared to classic American pigs in a blanket. The addition of a sweet and spicy sauce makes them so much more flavorful, while still keeping the recipe easy for beginners to make. US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions.
½tspcayenne pepperI use a heaped tsp because we love it spicy!
¼cuptomato ketchup
2tspWorcestershire sauce
1lbcrescent roll sheet2 sheets
1egglightly beaten (for the egg wash)
Habanero Cheese Dip (slightly adapted from Serious Eats)
8ozshredded monterrey jackor pepper jack cheese
½habanerode-seeded and chopped finely. Use less if you're using pepper jack cheese
1tbspcornstarch
1canevaporated milk
¼tspcayenne pepper
2tbspspicy mustard
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Spicy and Sweet Pigs in a Blanket
Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat.
1 tbsp oil
When the oil is hot, fry the sausages in the pan until they are heated through, and some caramelization starts to occur.
1.5 lbs small cocktail sausages
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).
3 tbsp packed brown sugar, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ¼ cup tomato ketchup, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
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.
1 lb crescent roll sheet
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).
1 egg
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.
8 oz shredded monterrey jack, 1 tbsp cornstarch
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).
8 oz shredded monterrey jack, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 can evaporated milk, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, 2 tbsp spicy mustard, ½ habanero
Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Salt and pepper
Serve warm with the spicy and sweet pigs in a blanket.
Notes
Using puff pastry - cut thin strips of puff pastry and wrap these around the cocktail sausages the same way you would with crescent dough. The oven should be preheated to 375°F / 190°C, and these need to be baked for 15 - 20 minutes (or until the puff pastry is golden brown).