Welcome back to our series featuring Food Holidays: April 24th, 2022. Today is National Pig in a Blanket Day. Charlie and David love going to the Donut Store on Sunday mornings and bringing home Pigs in a Blanket for them which I will not eat because I don’t care for Cheese in them.
Instead, I like to make Pigs in a Blanket at home using Mini Smokies with Cheese for David and Charlie. Without Cheese for me. Served with Mustard for dipping. Would you like to have dinner with me? I would be happy to make your Pigs in a Blanket with or without Cheese. It’s your choice.
National Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day
Five facts about Pigs-in-a-Blanket
- The first written record of Pigs in a Blanket occurs in Betty Crocker’s Cooking for Kids in 1957.
- Did you know Pigs in a Blanket are also known as Devils on horsebacks, kilted Sausages, or Wiener winks.
- In the United Kingdom, Pigs in Blankets are small Sausages, or Chipolatas wrapped up in Bacon.
- In America, Pigs in a Blanket often refers to Hot Dogs. Vienna Sausages, or breakfast Sausages wrapped in Biscuit Dough, or Croissant Dough. Although some people might use a Pancake and then baked.
- You can combine these recipes by wrapping Sausage in Bacon, then cooking stuffing them into a Biscuit or Croissant and cooking in the oven.
Fun Fact:
Pigs in a Blanket are usually different from Sausage Rolls. Sausage Rolls are a larger, more filling recipe served for breakfast and lunch in parts of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and, more rarely, the United States or Canada.
The name can also refer to Klobasnek (a kind of Kolache filled with Sausage or Ham slices). The German Würstchen im Schlafrock (“Sausage in a dressing gown“) uses Sausages wrapped in Puff Pastry, or, more rarely, Pancakes. Cheese and Bacon are sometimes added.
In Russia, this dish is named Сосиска в тесте (Sosiska v teste, “Sausage in Dough“)
If the phrase “Pigs in a Blanket” conjures up images of darling newborn Piglets swaddled in warm fluffy blankets you are definitely not a foodie. National Pigs in a Blanket Day celebrated on April 24th is a holiday celebrating comfort food. Pork Sausage (or Hotdogs) baked in Pastry.
Whom shall we thank for all this? Start with Betty Crocker, whose cookbooks decorated every post-war kitchen. Exposing young impressionable minds to this culinary dish. In 1957 Betty Crocker published Betty Crocker’s Cooking for Kids, with the first simple recipe for the taste treat. The rest is history! From a child’s first flour-smudged attempts at cooking to chic cocktail party fare, or fancy Pastry Crust to pre-made Biscuits in a tube, Pigs in a Blanket are the perfect snack for every occasion. Whether it’s a plain Hotdog or a fancy Sausage wrapped in your favorite Dough, gather your family. Share memories of the first time you were introduced to Pigs in a Blanket.
NATIONAL PIGS IN A BLANKET DAY ACTIVITIES
- Take a moment to call, or better yet write a note to the person you think of first when you think of eating Pigs in a Blanket.
- Gather all the ingredients together for all the different recipes you can think of. Including Hot Dogs, savory Sausage, Breakfast Links. Vegetables including Asparagus or baby Carrots for our Vegetarian friends. Then prepare Pancakes and Puff Pastry which you can purchase, Tortillas, Wonton Wrappers, and prepared Biscuits. Then invite your family over.
- Turn the party into a candlelit dinner and surprise your guests with making their own Pigs in A Blanket. Make sure to include a variety of Cheeses.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL PIGS IN A BLANKET DAY
- Pigs in a Blanket are a creative and fun way to foster a love of cooking in kids. For the first batch, set a good example about the importance of following a recipe. Then show them how to break all the rules and still create a great snack.
- Pigs in a Blanket is a warm treat for your guests because they are easy to make and tasty. With just two ingredients, all you need to do is add friends and beverages and you’ve got a party!
- Nostalgia Foods trigger memories. Pigs in a Blanket remind people of their childhood. Making Pigs in a Blanket with our parents, getting giddy as the delicious aroma started to waft from the oven. Then waiting impatiently as the Pigs in a Blanket cooled down enough to eat
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
