Irresistibly Sticky Pigs in Blankets: A Christmas Party Treat
A reimagined classic. These Sticky Pigs in Blankets are a perfect blend of bacon, sausages, and maple goodness, but with a twist – the sage leaves enhance the flavour. It’s a must-have appetiser for your next Christmas party.
Pigs In Blankets: A Tale of Two Cities
Your version of Sticky Pigs in Blankets might look slightly different depending on where you find yourself in the world. The American version features bite-sized sausages snugly wrapped in pastry. The British rendition favours a meatier embrace of a bacon wrapped sausage with a more robust flavour profile. It’s a tale of two cities, each with their own charm. This Sticky Pigs in Blankets recipe is partial to the UK version as the sausages are wrapped in maple-glazed bacon.
Turning Over A New Leaf: Sticky Sage Pigs in Blankets
We are breaking away from tradition for this recipe and adding a unique flavour – sage leaves. Each sausage is adorned with a fresh sage leaf before being enveloped in thin-cut streaky bacon. Adding sage adds a a herby brightness to each delightful bite and keeps the recipe from being too rich. You are left with deliciously sticky lips that savour the harmonious notes of savoury bacon and earthy, aromatic sage.
Be a Sage at Your Christmas Party
In the spirit of the holiday season, consider the symbolism of the sage – historically associated with wisdom. As you plan your Christmas party, channel your inner sage by adding these Sticky Pigs in Blankets as a delicious side dish. Here’s why:
- Make-ahead convenience: The convenience of preparing these Sticky Pigs in Blankets in advance allows you to be a stress-free host. You can either cook them completely, cover in glaze, and reheat at a low temperature once your guests arrive. Alternatively, for a better crisp on the bacon, than reheating once cooked, wrap the sausages in sage and bacon, make the glaze and set aside to cook once your guests arrive.
- Air fryer vs. oven: The recipe offers the flexibility of two cooking methods – the quick and efficient air fryer or the more spacious oven, which if doubling or tripling the recipe would be preferable here. For this quantity I prefer the air fryer as there’s no preheating fuss – air fryers heat up almost instantly. If you don’t want to miss the festivities, it’s an easy choice. If the ovens already hot and cooking other nibbles for the festivities, then go ahead and use it.
- Wow your guests: The irresistibly sticky recipe can be served as an appetiser to delight guests as soon as they walk through the door or serve as a side dish to complement any Christmas or Thanksgiving feast. The only thing you need to worry about is ensuring that you make enough. Every popular, doubling the recipe is a great idea. These are lovely grabbed cold from the fridge in a very Nigella moment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What type of sausages work best?
Any small, thin sausage will work well in this recipe. Opt for a cocktail (bite-sized) or chipolata (roughly the size of an index finger) sausages. Cocktail sausages are smaller than the chipolatas used in this recipe, making them perfect if serving this as a canape. If using a cocktail sausage only half a rasher of bacon will be needed. Simply cut the bacon strips in half. You will also reduce the cooking time by about half.
Many stores have a variety of chipolata sausages at this time of year, containing herbs or spices. A herby pork sausage would be lovely here or a sausage with a little kick of chilli.
I would not recommend hot dog style sausages for this recipe
I cant find chipolata or cocktail sausages! What do I do?
If you are serving this as part of a festive array of food, pork bangers (large pork sausages) will work just fine! You may need more than one strip of bacon to wrap your sausages, and the cook time will need to be adjusted.
Can I prepare the Sticky Pigs in Blankets in advance?
Yes! You have two options. Wrap the sausages in bacon and make the maple sauce. Refrigerate them and cook just before serving for a freshly baked and irresistibly sticky treat. You can also cook and glaze them up to 48 hours before and reheat them in a 150C oven until crispy and glazed. These reheat wonderfully, but the bacon will be a little more crisp if cooked just before serving.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Be sure to check the ingredients in your sausage carefully. If the sausage is gluten-free, the rest of the recipe is also gluten-free.
Irresistibly Sticky Pigs in Blankets: A Must-Have Christmas Party Treat
- Total Time: <30 mins
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A reimagined classic. These Sticky Pigs in Blankets are a perfect blend of bacon, sausages, and maple goodness, but with a twist – the sage leaves enhance the flavour. It’s a must-have appetiser for your next Christmas party.
Ingredients
- 16 thin-cut streaky bacon slices
- 16 sausages
- 16 large sage leaves
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1.5 tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
- Pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Press a sage leaf onto each lengthway along the sausage, then wrap the sausage with a thinly sliced piece of streaky bacon.
- Mix the maple syrup, whole-grain Dijon mustard, and a pinch of nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside.
In the air fryer:
- Air fry on the Roast setting at 180°C (356°F) for 6–10 minutes (cooking time depends on the thickness of the sausages) until the bacon has a slight colour and is turning golden.
- Pour the maple syrup mixture over the sausages and return them to the air fryer. Continue cooking until the bacon becomes crisp and the sauce forms a glaze, approximately 2–4 minutes. Baste the sausages while roasting for extra stickiness.
In the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (374°F).
- Place the wrapped sausages in the oven and bake for 8–12 minutes (cooking time depends on the thickness of the sausages) until the bacon has a little colour and is turning golden.
- Pour the maple syrup mixture over the sausages and return them to the oven. Continue baking until the bacon becomes crisp and the sauce coats the sausages in a glaze, about 3–5 minutes. Baste the sausages while roasting for extra stickiness.
- Prep Time: 5-10 mins
- Cook Time: <20mins
