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Prep time
5 minutes
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Cook time
20 minutes
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Serves
4 to 6
Author Notes
Not to be a total cliché, but for me, sports are all about the food you get to eat at the tailgate or watch party. The second my friends have a gathering planned around a sporting event, the wheels in my head immediately start churning thinking of all the snacks I can make. Basically, I want the biggest home run/touchdown/goal of the game to be whatever I’m cooking.
Pigs in a blanket are the ultimate game day appetizer, in my opinion. They’re the perfect bite of juicy, tender meat and flaky, buttery pastry—all finished with a punchy dipping sauce. As with The Big Game, my goal here is go big or go home, so I decided to supersize this beloved snack using zesty Zatarain’s Blackened Seasoned Chicken Smoked Sausages, but their Cajun Style Smoked Sausages and Andouille Smoked Sausages work equally well. The smoked sausages are pre-cooked, which means they're low effort, but big on flavor. I add a slice or two of deliciously melty Colby jack cheese to the sausage before wrapping it all up in flaky croissant dough. Plus, as advertised, a special dipping sauce made with Zatarain’s Creole Mustard, ketchup, mayo, and zippy spices.
If you’re at a true tailgate and you’d like to grill these, I suggest preparing the pigs in a blanket up until the refrigeration resting step. If you’re transporting them further than your back deck for grilling, place them in a cooler bag. From there, heat your grill to 375°F and brush your grill grates with a touch of neutral oil to prevent sticking. Grill them, turning occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the dough has puffed and cooked through. Serve as directed. (For a real no-fuss clean up, line your grill with a sheet of aluminum foil, and brush the oil directly onto that.) —Emily Ziemski
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe is shared in partnership with Zatarain’s® Smoked Sausages. To shop their smoked sausages and more, stop by Kroger, Walmart, and Food Lion locations nationwide. —The Editors
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Ingredients
- For the sausages:
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3
(8-ounce) packages croissant dough
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All-purpose flour, for dusting a work surface
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2
packages Zatarain’s Blackened Seasoned Chicken Smoked Sausages (6 sausages total)
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12
slices Colby Jack cheese
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1
egg
- For the dipping sauce:
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2 ounces
mayonnaise
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2 ounces
ketchup
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2 ounces
Zatarain’s Creole Mustard
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1/2 teaspoon
ground cumin
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1/4 teaspoon
freshly cracked black pepper
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1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
Directions
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Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment and set aside.
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Lightly dust a work surface with flour to prevent sticking. Unroll the croissant doughs and use a rolling pin to gently press to remove the pre-made perforations, keeping roughly the same size and shape. Cut the dough lengthwise into 6-inch-wide strips (two per sheet, about 7 inches long).
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Using a fork, poke a few holes into the sausages to prevent bursting. Crack the egg into a bowl and beat until smooth. Working quickly, place two slices of cheese on the bottom of a croissant strip (closest to you), leaving about a ½ inch border visible on the bottom. Using a pastry brush, brush the top ½ inch of the croissant dough with egg wash (this will help seal). Reserve leftover egg wash. Place a prepared sausage on the bottom of the cheese slice. Roll the croissant dough up from the bottom away from you, tucking the bottom under the sausage, rolling until it meets the top edge. Press gently to seal. Transfer to the sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough and sausages. Wrap the sheet pan gently with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or up to overnight.
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When it’s time to bake, brush the top of each pastry-coated sausage with remaining egg wash. Bake in the oven until the dough is golden brown, puffed, and cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
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Meanwhile, make the sauce. Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, Zatarain’s Creole Mustard, cumin, pepper, and salt in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Serve the Jumbo Pigs in A Blanket either warm or at room temperature with the special sauce on the side, for dipping.
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