This pigs in a blanket casserole is baked to golden-brown perfection, delivering a satisfying mix of buttery, flaky pastry and savory sausage in every bite. Ideal for game day, holiday gatherings, or brunch spreads, these wrapped sausages are simple to share and even easier to devour—just pull apart, dip, and enjoy! And don’t forget the pigs in a blanket dipping sauce to bring it all together.
This pigs in a blanket lil smokies takes your favorite snack and turns it into a casserole-style dish that’s perfect for serving a crowd. They are also easy to prep ahead and even easier to bake. Just layer the lil smokies and crescent dough in a casserole dish or shape them into a festive wreath, bake until puffed and golden, and serve with a warm dipping sauce in the center.
The best part? You can dress it up or keep it classic. Try different variations of pigs in a blanket dipping sauce, from honey mustard to spicy cheese, or even something unexpected like a creamy sriracha mayo. You can also customize the dough with everything bagel seasoning, parmesan, or garlic butter for extra flavor. This dish is highly versatile, appealing to children and suitable for gatherings, making it a recipe you will likely prepare throughout the year.
Content Covered Here
Why We Love This Pigs in a Blanket Dipping Sauce
- It’s always the first to disappear!
These bite-sized pigs in a blanket are totally addictive, and because they’re served as a pull-apart casserole, everyone dives right in. You’ll find your pigs in a blanket lil smokies gone before anything else at the table. - It’s so simple, even the kids can help
This is one of those recipes that’s perfect for little hands! Kids love rolling the lil smokies in crescent dough, and it’s a great way to get them involved in the kitchen. - The dipping sauce sits right in the middle
There’s always a perfect little nook for the dipping sauce. It simplifies the serving process and enhances the appeal of your party table, particularly for appetizers during Christmas dinner or holiday brunches.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Pigs in Blankets Recipe Ingredients
- Butter or vegetable oil: or use non-stick cooking spray for your baking dish.
- All-purpose flour: I recommend using unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Refrigerated pizza crust dough: use the Pillsbury kind in the tube or use one of our homemade pizza dough recipes.
- Little smokies (lil smokies) or cocktail sausages: they’re like mini hot dogs and perfect for stacking vertically for the pigs in a blanket wreath.
Dipping Sauce Ingredients
- Butter: it doesn’t matter if you use unsalted or salted butter, as long as it’s real butter. Oil or margerine won’t provide the ideal texture or taste for the sauce.
- All-purpose flour: almost any type of flour works for this roux: bread flour, all purpose flour, even self rising flour will work!
- Whole milk: using whole milk will give you the smoothest, creamiest dipping sauce. In a pinch, you can use 2% milk, but I do not recommend using non-fat milk.
- Cheddar cheese: shred your own cheese for the creamiest, cheesy sauce. See our Pro Tip to find out why!
- Dijon mustard: stone ground mustard is a suitable substitute.
- Spices: these enhance the flavor of the dipping sauce, especially the cayenne pepper. If you can’t tolerate spiciness, use chili powder instead.
Recipe Variations
- How to make pigs in a blanket with crescent rolls: instead of pizza dough, use 2 similar sized containers of crescent roll dough. Unroll the crescent dough and cut into strips without rolling it thinner.
- Blanket breakfast casserole: Crack a few eggs and whisk an egg mixture to pour over the pigs before baking for a hearty breakfast-style dish.
- Southwest style: Add diced onion, tomatoes, and shredded cheese for a Tex-Mex flavor twist.
- Italian version: Spoon a little tomato sauce into each crescent before rolling and sprinkle with favorite seasonings like oregano and basil.
- Garlic butter finish: Brush baked pigs with melted butter and a pinch of garlic powder for that irresistible extra flavor.
Equipment Used in This Recipe
- Cutting board
- Knife or pizza cutter
- Medium saucepan
- Spatula
- 2 – round pie pans (8″ to 10″ in diameter)
- Aluminum foil
- Small bowl for the serving the dip
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Store-bought shredded cheese contains anti-caking ingredients to prevent clumping and these additives can keep the cheese from melting smoothly.
If you want a creamier, perfectly melty cheese for sauces or casseroles, take a few extra minutes to shred your own. Trust me—the difference is worth it when dipping the lil smokies in a blanket into the cheese sauce!
How to Make Pigs in a Blanket Lil Smokies
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray the pie pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Flour a clean surface like a wooden cutting board and use a rolling pin to roll the pizza dough to ⅛ inch thick. Then, cut the dough into 1” to 1 ½” long strips.
- Roll each mini sausage with the dough, pressing the end to seal. Place the rolled sausages in the pan vertically, seam side in, so they are in the shape of a wreath.
Leave a spot in the middle of the baking dish and use a folded or rolled piece of aluminum foil in a circular shape to hold the space for the bowl of pigs in a blanket dip. Cover the pan of wrapped sausages with aluminum foil.
Repeat the above process for the second baking dish.
- Bake at 350ºF covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
If the tops aren’t golden brown after baking, turn the oven to broil on high (or 500° F). Broil for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Check every minute so they don’t get too brown. - Remove the pigs in a blanket casserole from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. While they are cooling, make the cheese sauce.
Preparing the Pigs in a Blanket Dip
- In a small saucepan over low heat, add the butter and let it melt. Add the flour, stirring for 2 minutes creating a paste. Slowly add the milk. Stir until smooth, then remove from heat. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until the cheese dip is smooth. Taste to see if more salt and cayenne pepper is needed.
- Add the bowl of mustard cheese sauce dip to the center of the pigs in a blanket wreath and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Garnish the casserole with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or adding rosemary sprigs. Use the pigs in a blanket dipping sauce as a tangy cheese topping for broccoli, baked potatoes, or nachos.
Consider serving these pigs in blankets with three dipping sauces like our 3 ingredient BBQ sauce, honey mustard dipping sauce, or easy Velveeta cheese sauce. Kids will love dipping them in ketchup or ranch dressing.
For more appetizers to pair with your pigs in blankets, check out our list of brunch finger foods! From savory bites to sweet treats, you’ll find the perfect recipes to round out your party spread.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, add 1/8 cup of milk at a time when reheating until your mustard cheese sauce is the right consistency.
Use 2 similar sized rolls of crescent roll dough (13.8 ounces) instead of pizza dough. Unroll the crescent dough and cut into strips without rolling it thinner.
You could, but the sides of the baking dish provide support for the pull-apart pigs in a blanket. To use a baking sheet, lay the wrapped sausages on their side and bake for 15-20 minutes without covering with foil.
Yes, we’ve included a tangy mustard cheese sauce with this pigs in a blanket wreath recipe. But, you can serve them with our favorite dipping sauces like hot cream cheese corn dip, feta red pepper dip, or Asian mango dipping sauce.
These are best served immediately, but they can stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 300° F for 15 minutes.
The sauce may thicken when reheating. So, add up to 1/8 cup of milk at a time when reheating until it’s the right consistency.
Other Snack Recipes to Consider…
If you tried this pigs in blankets recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Pigs in a Blanket Casserole
Equipment
- rolling pin
- knife or pizza cutter
- sauce pan
- spatula
- 2 8-10” pie dishes
- parchment paper or aluminum foil
Ingredients
Pigs in a Blanket Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter or oil, or use non-stick cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cans (13.8 ounces) pizza dough, like Pillsbury or use 2 pounds of homemade pizza dough
- 28 ounces little smokies or cocktail sausages approximately 50-55 sausages
Mustard Cheese Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk you can use 2% milk
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese see recipe notes
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to suit your preference
Instructions
Preparing and baking the wrapped sausages
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray the pie pans with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Flour a clean surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to ⅛ inch thick. Cut the dough into 1” to 1 ½” long strips.
- Wrap each mini sausage with the dough, pressing the end to seal. Place them in the pan vertically. Leave a spot in the middle (large enough for the small bowl you'll serve the dip from) and use a folded or rolled piece of aluminum foil to hold the space there.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
- Repeat the above process for the second baking dish.
- Bake at 350ºF covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- If they're not golden brown after the baking stage, turn the oven to broil on high or 500° F. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Check every minute so they don't get too brown.
- Remove casserole dish from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. While they are cooling, make the cheese sauce.
Preparing the pigs in a blanket dipping sauce
- In a small saucepan over low heat, add the butter and let it melt. Add the flour, stirring for 2 minutes creating a paste. Slowly add the milk. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat.
- Add the remainder of the ingredients. Stir until combined and the cheese sauce is smooth. Taste to see if more salt and cayenne pepper is needed.
- Place the bowl of mustard cheese sauce dip in the center of the pigs in a blanket wreath, then serve.
Notes
- How to make pigs in a blanket with crescent rolls: Use 2 similar sized rolls of crescent roll dough (13.8 ounces) instead of pizza dough. Unroll the crescent dough and cut into strips without rolling it thinner. To use a baking sheet instead of a casserole dish: Spray baking sheet with non-stick baking spray or line it with parchment paper. Lay the wrapped sausages on their side and bake at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes without covering with foil.
- Blanket breakfast casserole: Crack a few eggs and whisk an egg mixture to pour over the pigs before baking for a hearty breakfast-style dish.
- Southwest style: Add diced onion, tomatoes, and shredded cheese for a Tex-Mex flavor twist.
- Italian version: Spoon a little tomato sauce into each crescent before rolling and sprinkle with favorite seasonings like oregano and basil.
- Garlic butter finish: Brush baked pigs with melted butter and a pinch of garlic powder for that irresistible extra flavor.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Store-bought shredded cheese contains anti-caking ingredients to prevent clumping and these additives can keep the cheese from melting smoothly. I recommend shredding your own cheese when making cheese sauces.
- These are best served immediately, but they can stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 300° F for 15 minutes.
- The sauce may thicken when reheating. So, add up to 1/8 cup of milk at a time when reheating until it’s the right consistency.
Nutrition
Save This Recipe!
Enter your email below, and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox.
Joseph says
I brought these to a potluck, and they were the first thing to disappear! Everyone asked for the recipe. They’re so easy and delicious, and the dipping sauce is the perfect complement.