Of all the appetizers I make, this one is my husband’s favorite. It is a step up from the pigs in the blanket we made 20 years ago with crescent rolls. You will not be able to eat just one. When we took these piggies to a Super Bowl party last month, my husband and I each ate several on the ride over to the party….very hard to resist!
You need puff pastry, I like the Dufour brand from Whole Foods. The puff pastry comes frozen, so you have to defrost it in the fridge the night before you make these. You also need piggies… I like to use chicken if I can find them, but pork or beef all work. You also need flour for rolling out the puff pastry . I buy my "Everything Bagel” seasoning from Williams Sonoma.
You need honey and dijon mustard for the dipping sauce.
Break an egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Throw some flour onto a flat surface and dust your rolling pin. You can also use a wine bottle if you do not have a rolling pin.
Lay the puff pastry, that was thawed overnight in the fridge, on the floured surface. Roll the dough a little widthwise to 11”-12” and more lengthwise depending on how many piggies you have.
Now count your piggies and divide by 3. I had 27 piggies in my bag, so I laid down 1/3 of them which is 9, down the length of my pastry. The amount of piggies you have divided by 3, and lined up determines the length of your pastry.
Take the piggies you lined up off the pastry and spread 4 tablespoons Dijon Mustard on the pastry.
Cut a little off each side for a clean edge. Place a piggie down for width and cut from front to back. You want the pastry to be the same width as the piggie, since the pastry will shrink during cooking. I had 27 piggies, so I lined up nine (1/3 of them) and cut 9 strips.
Now cut the down from east to west across the pastry two times, to create three rows. Now you know why I took 1/3 of the piggie count. Now I have 27 small strips. Every brand of piggies has different amounts thus you need to measure and calculate.
Now take a piggie and roll up.
Use a fork to press the seal ( almost like scoring) to prevent it opening up during cooking. Place the rolled up piggies to the side, since you need to put parchment paper or foil down for the next step.
Place a piece of parchment paper over your flour mess, for easier clean up later. Brush each piggie on the top and sides with the egg.
Sprinkle Everything Bagel seasoning on top of each piggie.
Pull out a cookie sheet and place another piece of foil or parchment paper on the sheet for easy clean up. Rub the bottoms of the pigs in the blanket into the egg mixture that is left on the first parchment to again seal the dough, as you transfer the piggies onto the clean cookie sheet. At this point you can store in the fridge and bake later or you can bake now.
Bake for 25-30 minutes till golden brown and pastry is cooked through. Check on the piggies after 20 to 25 minutes; if they are getting too brown on the top place a piece of foil on the top and continue baking till pastry is cooked through.
Now make the dipping sauce. Combine 1/2 cup dijon mustard with 2 tablespoons honey in a small bowl, stir till combined.
Transfer mixture to a smaller bowl, for a cleaner presentation.
These can be served hot, warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
PIGS IN A BLANKET WITH HONEY MUSTARD RECIPE
Serves: 5-6 people (my batch made 27 piggies)
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 egg
puff pastry ( thawed the night before in the fridge) 14 ounces
mini piggies, chicken, beef or pork, approx. 12 ounces
4 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup Grey Poupon Mustard
flour (for rolling out pastry)
everything bagel seasoning
2 tablespoons honey
preparation
Defrost your pastry the night before in the fridge.
Break the egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Throw some flour and spread it out on the counter. Unfold the pastry and lay it on the flour. Flour your rolling pin as well.
Count your piggies and divide by 3. I had 27 piggies, so 27 divided by 3 is 9. Roll the pastry longways till you can lay down 1/3 of your piggies side by side (look at photo above). Now roll the pastry widthwise to 11” -12” .
Remove the piggies you laid down to determine length and spread 4 tablespoons of the dijon mustard over the pastry.
Cut a little off each side on the pastry so the sides are straight.
Use one piggie to determine the width of your cuts. The pastry will shrink while baking, so the cut the pastry the same width as the piggie. You will cut the pastry into rows from north to south, based on the number or piggies you have. I cut mine into 9 rows.
Now cut east to west 2 times so you have 3 rows.
Roll a piggie into each strip. Use a fork to score the seam, so it will not open during baking.
Place the piggies to one side and place a piece of parchment or foil on top of the flour mess. Brush each piggie with the egg and sprinkle with the bagel seasoning.
Pull out a cookie sheet and place another clean piece of parchment on the sheet. As you place the pigs on the sheet, rub their bottoms in the egg mixture that is left on the original parchment paper to further seal the pastry.
At this point, you can place in the fridge and bake later or bake now for 25-30 minutes. Check on them after 20 minutes, to make sure the tops are not getting too brown. You may have to place a piece of foil loosely on the piggies for the last few minutes to insure the pastry is cooked without the piggies getting too dark on top.
Now make your dipping sauce. Combine 1/2 cup of dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons honey in a small bowl. Stir till combined. Transfer to smaller bowl for a nice presentation.