pigs in blankets

Everybody loves this traditional Christmas side dish and we've got three tasty twists including black pudding, butternut squash and chestnuts – you choose!

Classic Pigs In Blankets

rasherssmoked streaky bacon

chipolatas

Classic pigs in blankets

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Cut the bacon rashers in half. Wrap a piece of bacon around each of the chipolatas.

Place on a baking tray and cook for 30-35 mins until golden.

Encase the flavours of pigs in blankets – sausage and bacon – with hot water crust pastry for a striking pie, sure to be the crowning glory of your Boxing Day table

Jewelled pork & pistachio pie

rashers smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped

boneless pork shoulder rind removed, chopped into 1cm chunks (prepared weight)

sausagemeat

nutmeg nutmeg

sage leaves, finely chopped

dried cranberries

dried apricots, chopped

pistachios

lard,

butter,

plain flour

egg, beaten

Tip the bacon, pork and sausagemeat into a large bowl, then grate in the nutmeg and add the sage, cranberries, apricots, pistachios, ¼ tsp salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Mix to combine, then cover and keep chilled while you make the pastry.

Tip the lard and butter into a small pan with 150ml water and bring to a simmer. Weigh the flour out in a heatproof bowl with ½ tsp salt. When the butter and lard have melted and the mixture is steaming, pour it over the flour and quickly mix to form a scraggy dough. Tip out onto a surface and knead briefly until smooth. Cut off a third, then wrap and set aside.

Roll the remaining pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin, then lift using a rolling pin and unroll into a deep 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Press the pastry into the edge and up the side – don’t worry if it doesn’t reach the top, just press into an even layer and ensure there are no holes.

Spoon the filling into the pastry case and pack in with the back of the spoon to expel any air pockets. Mound it up in the centre to create a dome, leaving about 1cm of the pastry edge protruding.

Roll out the reserved pastry to the same thickness as before, then use a plate as a template to cut out a 20cm circle. You can either top the pie with the pastry lid as it is, or create a lattice effect. To do this, you will need to use a lattice cutter or ruler and knife. Hold the ruler over the pastry circle and, starting from the left or right side, cut 1cm vertical lines in the pastry going from top to bottom, leaving 1cm gaps between the incisions. After completing one line of cuts, move the ruler ½cm to the side and make another line of cuts. Continue all the way along the pastry. Gently tease the holes open with your fingers to create a webbed lattice effect, then use the same 20cm template to retrim the lid. Carefully lift it over the pie, folding over the excess pastry and crimping all the way around the edge to seal. Brush the pastry with some of the beaten egg. Re-roll any offcuts and use to decorate the pie, if you like (we cut out star shapes). Stick these on and brush with more beaten egg. Will keep covered, uncooked, in the fridge for up to 24 hrs.

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake for 2 hrs until the pastry is deep golden brown. If you have a food thermometer, the internal temperature should reach 70C. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then chill for at least 4 hrs before serving. Will keep covered in the fridge for up to five days.

Thought pigs-in-blankets couldn’t get any better? Think again. We've turned everyone’s favourite Christmas trimming into a glorious toad-in-the-hole

Pigs-in-blankets toad in the hole

mustard powder (optional)

eggs

milk

rashers smoked streaky bacon

sausages

sunflower oil

Tip the flour and mustard powder, if using, into a bowl, and beat in the eggs until smooth. Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until all of it has been incorporated and the batter is lump-free. Season and set aside. Wrap a bacon rasher around each sausage. The batter and the pigs in blankets will keep covered and chilled, separately, for up to 12 hrs.

Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Drizzle the oil into a large, deep roasting tin or enamel baking dish, and put in the oven for a few minutes to heat up. Carefully add the pigs in blankets and tip back and forth to coat in the hot oil. Roast for 15-20 mins, turning over halfway through, until sizzling and browned.

Carefully remove the tin from the oven and, working quickly, pour the batter around the pigs in blankets. Return to the oven and bake for 25 mins without opening the oven door. When the toad in the hole is ready, it should be puffed up and deep golden brown. If you prefer it darker brown, bake for 5 mins more. Serve with gravy and green veg.

Serve a veggie spin on pigs in blankets with our halloumi version, wrapped in thin strips of charred courgette. Enjoy as a side dish or as canapés

Halloumi pigs in blankets

courgettes,

½ tsp smoked paprika

tbsp olive oil,

blocks halloumi

lemon,

thyme sprigs,

Tip the courgette strips into a bowl with a little salt, the paprika and half the oil, and toss to coat. Heat a griddle or large frying pan over a high heat and sear the courgette slices until lightly charred and wilted, then lift onto a plate and leave to cool. You may need to do this in batches.

Cut each block of halloumi into eight slices, then in half along the seam. Tip the halloumi into the bowl you used for the courgettes, along with the other half of the oil, the lemon zest and juice, some black pepper and the thyme, and toss to coat. Wrap the courgette slices around the halloumi pieces, then arrange on an oiled, shallow baking tray. This can be done up to a day ahead, then covered and chilled until ready to cook.

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the ‘pigs in blankets’ with a little oil, then bake for 12-15 mins until sizzling and the exposed halloumi is starting to brown. Serve immediately.

Sausages wrapped in bacon is the only way to make Pigs in a Blanket! Served with a Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce, this Homemade Pigs in Blankets recipe is truly irresistible!

Pigs in Blankets with Honey Mustard Dip

Chipolatas

rashers of Streaky Bacon (preferably smoked)

Sage Leaves

Olive Oil

Mayonnaise (full fat)

Dijon Mustard

Honey

tbsp Sour Cream

Lemon

Salt & Black Pepper,

Pre heat oven to 200c/390f.

Place a sage leaf on each of your chipolatas and then wrap in bacon, ensuring there's tiny amount of sausage showing on each side. Pierce with a toothpick/cocktail stick to secure.

Place on a bed of rosemary in a baking dish and drizzle over a little olive oil. Roast in the oven for 30mins or until dark golden and crispy.

Meanwhile, combine all of your honey mustard dip ingredients, adjusting the seasoning to taste.

Serve by removing the toothpick/cocktail stick and laying over any leftover rosemary you have.

I make these every year, I do some with sage and dine with basil leaves,  dips gorgeous

These would make a great addition to a brunch!!

Just in time for upcoming holidays! Always a crowd favorite!

Wow, these sound and look so scrumptious! Quite the sophisticated pigs in blankets. And fantastic appetizer for the holiday season!

I love this take on Pig in a Blanket! Bacon? OMG! Looks so delicious! This was one of my childhood faves!

OMG these photos are stunning! I am so using this recipe for our neighborhood Christmas party this year!

I bet these are the first to go at a party! They look irresistible.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/u6AH9hyW.mp4

Pigs in Blankets with a Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Upgrade pigs in blankets with our giant pinwheel version. It's an ideal side dish for the Christmas dinner table and sure to wow dinner guests

Giant pig-in-a-blanket pinwheel

linked chipolatas

vegetable oil

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, or if using an air fryer, heat it to 180C. Carefully untwist the links between each sausage, ensuring they remain connected. Gently squeeze the links to push the meat into the gaps between the links, so you have one long sausage.

Wrap the bacon rashers around the sausage on the diagonal, so they cover it in a single layer. Loosely coil the wrapped sausage around itself and transfer to a large ovenproof frying pan (ours was 25cm wide) or chill until you’re ready to cook. Will keep chilled for up to two days.

If using an oven, drizzle with oil and bake for 20 mins until golden brown. If using an air fryer, lift the spiral into the air fryer basket, brush lightly with oil and bake for 15-20 mins until golden brown. If you have a probe thermometer, the internal temperature should be 75C. Chop into pieces to serve.

Top 6 pigs in blankets recipes from across the web

The most viewed pigs in blankets recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Classic Pigs In Blankets

Jewelled pork & pistachio pie

Pigs-in-blankets toad in the hole

Halloumi pigs in blankets

Pigs in Blankets with Honey Mustard...

Giant pig-in-a-blanket pinwheel

Top 6 pigs in blankets recipes from across the web

The most viewed pigs in blankets recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Classic Pigs In Blankets

Jewelled pork & pistachio pie

Pigs-in-blankets toad in the hole

Halloumi pigs in blankets

Pigs in Blankets with Honey Mustard...

Giant pig-in-a-blanket pinwheel

The most viewed pigs in blankets recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine