Soft pretzels and cocktail franks come together to create a delicious, fun appetizer. Perfect for Super Bowl Sunday! Serve with the BEST beer cheese dip for the ultimate experience. Made with crescent dough so they're ready in about 30 minutes!
Pigs in a blanket are an appetizer loved by both kids and adults! They're a cute, fun-size appetizer making them perfect for kids, but they're also super delicious and easy to make, making them loved by adults, as well. And don't forget the beer cheese dip! It takes this appetizer to another level. If you're not a beer cheese fan, simply swap the beer for more milk and you're good to go!
What I love most about this recipe, other than the fact that they're delicious, is that they made with crescent dough. They come together so quickly! I also recently discovered that Pillsbury now has crescent dough SHEETS! WHAT! I love this! With the crescent dough sheet I was able to cut strips of dough to roll around the cocktail franks. If you can't find the crescent dough sheets, you can use regular crescent roll dough! Either pinch the seams together so you have one sheet, or cut the crescent triangles into 2-3 strips. There's really no perfect way to make pigs in a blanket. Heck, you could even use biscuit or pizza dough. Just roll it out and cut into strips that are about 3-4 inches long by about 1 inch wide. So many ways to go about it.
You may be wondering where the pretzel part comes in. Simply bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add baking soda (slowly or you'll overflow the pot). Once the cocktail franks are wrapped in dough, drop them into the baking soda water about 3-4 at a time, so you're not crowding the pot, then remove when they float to the top about 10-20 seconds. Place them on a baking sheet, brush with an egg wash, sprinkle with salt and bake to golden perfection!
Ingredients.
Cocktail franks. Or weiners. Or lil smokies. Whatever you wanna call them. I actually used the beef ones. Typically they're made with pork. Both will work great.
Crescent dough sheets. Did you know Pillsbury now make crescent dough sheets without the seams?! YEP! And I think it's a great idea, so that's what I used to make my pigs in a blanket. I was actually planning to buy regular crescent roll dough until I stumbled upon the sheets. If you can't find the sheets just buy the original roll version!
Baking soda + water. To turn the crescent dough into soft pretzels, bring a pot of water to a boil and add baking soda. You'll then drop your dough wrapped cocktail franks into the water for about 10-20 seconds, or until they float. The baking soda water gives the dough that chewy pretzel texture.
Egg. Beat one egg to create an egg wash for the top of the dough.
Coarse sea salt. For sprinkling on top of the dough before baking. You can use regular salt, just don't go too heavy with it. A little sparkle goes a long way.
Flour + butter. To make a roux to thicken the beer cheese sauce. Just all-purpose flour and salted or unsalted butter.
Milk. I like to use whole or 2% for a creamier sauce.
Beer. You're favorite light beer, or dark beer if you want your beer cheese to have a really strong beer flavor.
Cream cheese. This is my secret weapon when it comes to beer cheese dip! It seriously makes it the BEST! You're beer cheese will be SO creamy and flavorful!
Cheddar cheese. Lots of cheddar cheese. I like to shred my own because it melts better.
Dijon mustard. I like to add a little mustard to my beer cheese to amp up the flavor. You could also sub in spicy mustard. If you don' have either on hand, you can just skip it. The beer cheese will still be great.
Salt & pepper. For the beer cheese.
Tips & Tricks.
Crescent dough. I don't know how long this has been a thing, but I just discovered crescent dough sheets! I intended to buy crescent roll dough and that's when I spotted the sheets. I had to buy them instead! You want to cut the dough into short strips to wrap around the cocktail franks, so the sheets are perfect. To do this, I rolled out the dough so that it was a little thinner, my rectangle was about 10 x 15 inches. Cut the sheet into 1 inch strips and then cut those strips into 4 even length pieces (about 3-4 inches long). I hope that doesn't sound complicated cause it's not. Just look at the picture above. If you can't find the crescent dough sheets, you can use regular crescent roll dough! Either pinch the seams together so you have one sheet, or cut the crescent triangles into 2-3 strips. There's really no perfect way to make pigs in a blanket.
Can you use a different kind of dough? Instead of crescent dough, you could use biscuit or pizza dough! Just roll it out into strips that are 1 inch wide x 3-4 inches long.
Not a beer cheese fan? Simply swap the beer for extra milk.
More Delicious Appetizers!
Baked Pretzel Popcorn Chicken with Chipotle Honey Mustard
Hot Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip
BEST Homemade French Onion Dip
Mediterranean Spinach Artichoke Dip
Beer Cheese Pulled Pork Nachos
Pretzel Pigs in a Blanket with Beer Cheese Dip
Ingredients
Pretzel Pigs in a Blanket
- 8 ounce crescent dough sheets (or crescent roll dough)
- 25-30 cocktail franks (13 ounce package)
- ⅓ cup baking soda
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- coarse salt for sprinkling (or whatever salt you have on hand)
Beer Cheese Dip
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup light beer (or dark if you prefer a stronger flavor)
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard (or spicy mustard)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil (about 2 quarts).
- Lightly flour a work surface. Roll the crescent dough out into about a 10 x 15 inch rectangle. Cut the sheet into strips of the dough that are about 1 inch wide, then cut those strips into 4 pieces (about 3-4 inches long). See picture above for reference.
- Wrap each strip around a cocktrail frank and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water.
- Carefully drop 3-4 dough wrapped cocktail franks into the water. Boil for about 10-20 seconds, or until it floats to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and place seam side down on the parchement lined baking sheets.
- Brush the tops of the dough with the egg wash. Lightly sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Make the beer cheese while they bake.
Beer Cheese Dip
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and let cook for 30-60 seconds.
- While whisking, pour in the milk and beer. Continue whisking until thickened, about 1 minute. Add in the cream cheese and mustard. Whisk until the cream cheese is melted and combined.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt, pepper and cheese until melted.
- Serve the warm beer cheese with the freshly baked pretzel pigs in a blanket!
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