Cooking with David Maciel
Sponsored by Ray’s Food Place, Furber Plaza
When our son was little, I always looked for an easy dinner on Halloween like pigs in a blanket. I put a twist on this recipe to give it a more gourmet taste that should satisfy any appetite.
These cheesy stuffed weenies are a perfect dinner or a great appetizer for those holiday parties or before trick
or treating.
Ingredients
• ½ cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• ½ cup bacon, diced small and cooked until crispy
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced small
• 1 small sweet apple (like Honey Crisp or Gala), diced small
• ½ cup dates, finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 4 packages (4 each) all-natural smoked or plain sausages
• 4 tubes crescent roll dough
Dipping Sauce:
• ½ cup honey mustard
• ¼ cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the Mozzarella, Parmesan, cooked bacon, red bell pepper, apple, dates and parsley. Reserve the mixture to the side.
Make a lengthwise slice in the sausage that cuts down half the depth of the sausage. Line up the sausages on your cutting board and stuff each with 1 tablespoon of the cheese stuffing. Set them to the side until you’re ready to assemble them.
On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll out the crescent roll dough and pair up the triangles to make 4 rectangles per tube, ready for assembly. Evenly sprinkle approximately 1 tablespoon of the cheese filling over the rectangles and gently push the filling into the dough. Then, carefully roll each sausage up in the crescent roll dough, keeping the filling in the sausage. Slice each rolled-up sausage in half with an angled cut.
Arrange your piggies on baking sheets, one inch apart, and bake for 13–15 minutes, or until they’re puffed and golden brown.
In a small bowl, combine the honey mustard, Ricotta Cheese and apple cider vinegar. Serve the dipping sauce alongside the gourmet pigs in a blanket.
