Introduction: How to Make the Best Ever Pigs in Blankets With Cheesy Mustard Dipping Sauce
Pigs in blankets are many people’s idea of a perfect Christmas. What if I told you that you can make them even more perfect? How about adding fresh rosemary right into the blankets and dipping them into a beautifully rich & creamy honey mustard cheese dipping sauce… now we’re talkin’! Perfect on a party buffet table, lovely as a light starter and, as always, incredible on your Christmas dinner plate!
Here is what you will need to make 24.
For the Pigs In Blankets
- 24 Slices of Pancetta
- 24 Chipolata Sausages
- Few Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary, leaves torn off & finely chopped
For the Cheese Sauce
- 60g Unsalted Butter
- 30g Plain Flour
- 450ml Whole Milk
- 200g Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp Honey Mustard
- Salt & Pepper
*NOTE: it is best to have all your sauce ingredients at room temperature before you start if possible.
Step 1: To Make the Pigs in Blankets
Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (or a non stick baking mat) and set to one side. Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 170°C.
Lay a few strips of pancetta on a chopping board & sprinkle generously with chopped rosemary.
Step 2: To Make the Pigs in Blankets
Take a chipolata and roll diagonally along a slice of pancetta. You want your pancetta to reach from one end of the sausage to the other.
Repeat until you have used up all your ingredients then evenly space them out on your prepared baking tray.
Step 3: To Make the Pigs in Blankets
Place the tray into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Turn once halfway to ensure a nice even colour.
Step 4: To Make the Cheesy Mustard Dipping Sauce
To make the sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat.
Tip in the flour then whisk constantly for 3 minutes to cook out the flour.
Step 5: To Make the Cheesy Mustard Dipping Sauce
Gradually add in the milk whilst whisking constantly. It will start out really lumpy like image no.1, But fear not, keep adding/whisking and it will soon look like image no.2!
Step 6: To Make the Cheesy Mustard Dipping Sauce
Turn up the heat to medium/high and continue to whisk for a few minutes until you feel it start to thicken slightly. Then dump in all the grated cheese.
Step 7: To Make the Cheesy Mustard Dipping Sauce
Keep whisking until all the cheese has melted and the sauce is as thick as you like. (Note it will thicken more on cooling.)
Finally add in the honey mustard and some salt & pepper to season. Go easy on the salt though as the cheese is already very salty.
Step 8: To Make the Cheesy Mustard Dipping Sauce
Pour the sauce into a bowl, plate up the Pigs In Blankets and serve warm or cold. I prefer warm!
These really do taste amazing! That cheese sauce is SO rich & creamy and the Pigs In Blankets are just perfect. As I mentioned before, these would be wonderful as a starter, a party snack or minus the cheese sauce – alongside your Christmas dinner. Versatile & delicious. That’s the kind of math I like to do!
Check out www.kitchenmason.com for more awesome step by step recipes.
21 Comments
6 years ago
What region are you from that "pigs in a blanket" are bacon wrapped sausages?
I've always called pigs in a blanket biscuit (dough) wrapped sausages. Not that I am knocking this. This looks SO much better than what I've been eating. :)
Reply 6 years ago
I'm from the UK. Bacon/pancetta as blankets is standard here :)
Reply 6 years ago
I wonder how I would sleep if my blanket were made of bacon? I think I would wake up cold (nom, nom, nom, brrrrrr) ;-P
I am going to try this recipe as I love all the pork and mustard. However, I despise honey mustard and may switch up with a Chinese hot mustard powder for spicy or maybe a Dijon for classical savory.
Cheers!
Reply 6 years ago
Ooh I like the idea of adding a bit of heat! Let me know how you get on :)
Reply 6 years ago
I'm from New Zealand. My family know pigs in a blanket to be prunes in bacon toasted in the oven!
Reply 6 years ago
Oh... we call the prunes in bacon "Devils on Horseback" for some reason.
Reply 6 years ago
I love that everyone has ta different take on food. Your way sounds lovely!
6 years ago
What I do to the rosemary: pick it, dry it to the extreme (by leaving it in a dry and dark place, not by placing it in the sun), then simply grind it in a coffee grinder. The flavor is preserved, but it's a lot easier to spread, and it keeps forever. It doesn't loose flavor if kept in an airtight closed jar.
Reply 6 years ago
If you want the best dried rosemary, try a trick that I learnt from an old Italian maestro: Take the large sprigs and tie them together at the base. Take a paper grocery bag and secure the bunch hanging from the tied stem end in the center. Nest that bag inverted into a second bag. You create kind of a thin paper box where the moisture can escape but the air stays saturated with the volatile oils. It makes a huge (yuuuuuuuge) difference in the strength and "aroma fresco" of the final product. I've done this with oregano and it gets even better.
Cheers!
Reply 6 years ago
That sounds amazing! I might give that a go, thanks :)
6 years ago
Made it yesterday. It was very well received by my friends. I love cheese so the sauce was great.
Reply 6 years ago
Aww yay!! So glad you and all your friends liked it <3
6 years ago
Yummy
Even nicer the day after, like everything else.
Reply 6 years ago
I thought so too! We had some leftovers in rolls with some of the cheese sauce, best sandwich I've had in a long time!
6 years ago
That sauce sounds delicious!
I'm vegetarian so I will make veggie pigs in blankets for me and the proper pigs in blankets for others in the house, but that sauce is on the list!
Reply 6 years ago
Carrots wrapped in cucumber to sub for bacon and sausage?
Reply 6 years ago
That sounds like a great idea!
Reply 6 years ago
Yes the sauce is vegetarian, I hope you like it! Thank you for your kind words :)
6 years ago
I will make these as soon as Parkers sends my sausges.
Yum.
6 years ago
They look VERY good