Pigs in blankets recipe

Pigs in blankets are the ultimate roast dinner side, made with crispy streaky bacon wrapped round a mini chipolata. In our experience they are very popular with all members of the family. Dunked into gravy on the side of your plate or even eaten as a snack in their own right pigs in blankets are a must come Christmas, and making your own couldn't be simpler.

These little beauties take just ten minutes prep (if that!) and can then be cooked just before you're ready to serve up. If you want to give yours a twist you can experiment with flavours and add things between the sausage and the bacon to give an extra delicious finish. Caramelised onions, chutneys or fresh herbs are all delicious, as is a little mustard.

Once you've mastered the basic recipe have a go at giving your pigs in blankets your personal twist! Love a good roast? We've got loads more lovely roast recipes right here!

Ingredients

• 12 mini chipolata sausages
• 6 rashers of streaky bacon

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and prepare a shallow baking tray.
2. Take your streaky bacon and cut it in half length-ways, so that you have two long strips. Repeat until you have prepared all your bacon.
3. Next, take your sausages and wrap each one in a piece of bacon, rolling tightly from one end to the other so that only a little of each end is exposed. At this stage you can secure the bacon with cocktail sticks if you wish but the bacon should stay put if you roll the 'seam' under the bottom of the sausage.
4. Arrange your sausages on the baking tray and bake for fifteen minutes, or until cooked right through and slightly caramelised.
5. Serve up beside a roast dinner as a traditional accompaniment or as a nibble on Christmas day with a dip of onion chutney or sweet chilli sauce.

Like most foods, when stored properly in an air-tight container in the fridge, pigs in blankets will be good to eat for up to three days. They can also be frozen so you don't have to rush to finish them off all at once! If you're freezing your pigs in blankets, again make sure they are put in an air-tight container and labelled so you know their time is up! They will be good for 2-3 months when stored this way, just make sure when taking out to enjoy they are thoroughly defrosted (and do not refreeze!) and heated all the way through.

Pigs in blankets are a fantastically tasty option to enjoy on their own as a nibble or on your Christmas dinner plate, but if you're looking for a little more to go with there's plenty of options! Start simple with a range of dips like honey mustard, or you could opt for a more substantial side like mac and cheese or devilled eggs!