Pigs In A Blanket

In the United States, the term "pigs in a blanket" often refers to hot dogs, Vienna sausages, cocktail or breakfast/link sausages wrapped in biscuit dough, pancake, or croissant dough, and baked. The dough is sometimes homemade, but canned dough is most common. They are somewhat similar to a sausage roll or (by extension) a baked corn dog. They are served as an appetizer, a children's dish, or as a breakfast entree. A common variation is to stuff the hot dog or sausage with cheese before wrapping it in dough.

In Washington, D.C. there is a variant with rosemary and thyme in the dough, called "pigs in a winkle blanket." At breakfast or brunch, the term "pigs in a blanket" refers to sausage links with pancake wrapped around it.

In regions heavily influenced by Slovak immigrants, such as northern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio, the term usually refers instead to stuffed cabbage rolls, such as the Polish or Ukrainian gołąbki.

In much of central and southeast Texas (including Austin & Houston) the term "kolache" has been widely misappropriated to describe a variety of dough-wrapped breakfast goods, including sausages of several types wrapped in both biscuit and croissant dough. It would seem that the term "klobasnek" is more technically correct for this variety; perhaps "kolache" was deemed easier to pronounce and was therefore seized upon by local merchants. They can be found in virtually every doughnut shop, and at least one kolache-themed chain is currently in operation.

Pigs in blankets (also known as worstenbroodjes or saucijzenbroodjes (Dutch), kilted sausages (Scotland), or in Danish pølse i svøb) refers to a variety of different sausage-based foods in the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Australia, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, Canada, and Japan. They are typically small in size and can be eaten in one or two bites.

For this reason, they are usually served as an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre or are accompanied by other dishes in the 'main course' section of a meal. In the West, especially in the United States and Canada, the bite sized variety of pigs in a blanket is a common hors d'oeuvre served at cocktail parties and is often accompanied by a mustard or aioli dipping sauce. Pigs in a blanket are usually different from sausage rolls, which are a larger, more filling item served for breakfast and lunch in parts of Europe, Australia, and, more rarely, the United States and Canada.

The American Farm Bureau Foundation's Dates to Celebrate Agriculture calendar includes a "National Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day" to be observed every April 24.

Text Credits: Wikipedia || Punchbowl ||
Image Credit: By Photo credit: stef yau [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons