Score the ultimate culinary touchdown at your next Super Bowl party with this Easy Pigskins in a Blanket Football appetizer! This budget-friendly game day recipe puts a clever, festive twist on a classic finger food, transforming simple refrigerated crescent rolls and Lit'l Smokies into an eye-catching football-shaped centerpiece. Whether you are hosting a large crowd for the big game or just need a fun after-school snack, these delicious "pigskins" are guaranteed to be the MVP of your appetizer lineup.
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Why You'll Want to Make Easy Pigskins in a Blanket Football
- Budget-Friendly: Minimal prep and simple, inexpensive ingredients keep your costs low without sacrificing flavor.
- Crowd-Pleaser: These snacks are a hit with both kids and adults, making them perfect for potlucks or tailgates.
- Ultra-Flexible: You can easily customize them with different fillings like cheese sticks or sausages and pair them with endless dipping sauce variations.
- Interactive Fun: It is a great family activity; kids love helping to roll the dough and decorate the "football laces" with cheese.
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
Steps to Make Easy Pigskins in a Blanket Football
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Remove the Lit'l Smokies from the package and place them on paper towels to dry them off. Patting them dry helps ensure the dough adheres better and crisps up nicely, resulting in a more visually appealing and texturally pleasing snack.
- Next, unroll the crescent roll dough.
- And separate the dough at the seams into triangles.
- Using a large kitchen knife, cut the triangles into either two or three strips. The number of strips you cut depends on the number of Lit'l Smokies that are in your package. My package had 35 so I cut three of the triangles of dough into three strips and the other 13 into two strips, which gave me a total of 35 strips.
- Then take each piece of dough, lay the Lit'l Smokie along the top edge, and roll the dough straight until it's wrapped all the way around.
- Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper and place some of the wrapped Lit'l Smokies in an oval shape slightly apart. Then, fill in the center of the oval with the remaining ones. Place a column of smokies in the center of the oval so that the dough slides are facing each other. Then place a column of smokies on either side with the exposed smokies facing each other. The number of wrapped smokies will determine how many will make up the oval and how many will fill the center.
- Add the egg and the heavy whipping cream to a small bowl.
- Then, using a fork or a small whisk, combine the two.
- Next, brush the tops of each wrapped Lit'l Smokie with the egg wash, and sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then bake in a 375°F oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
- After 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. Tear the string cheese into strips, then lay two strips end to end to create one long line down the center of the wrapped smokies. Then lay the other four strips across the long line in the center to look like the laces of a football. Then, return it to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
- After the cheese has melted, take the pan out of the oven. Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and set it on a wire rack to allow the Pigskins in a Blanket Football to cool for 10 minutes. Serve with a variety of dipping sauces.
Whether you are gearing up for a high-stakes playoff game or a casual Sunday afternoon tailgate, this Easy Pigskins in a Blanket Football recipe is your ticket to a winning spread. Its festive appearance and classic flavors make it a surefire way to impress your guests while keeping your time in the kitchen to a minimum. Don't forget to serve it with a variety of bold dipping sauces and watch as it disappears faster than a Hail Mary pass!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can use veggie hot dogs, sausages, cheese sticks, or even cooked chicken strips.
Not necessarily! Puff pastry or pizza dough can be substituted, though the cooking time and texture might differ slightly.
es! You can assemble the football up to 24 hours in advance and keep it refrigerated. For the best texture, bake it right before your guests arrive.
The secret is drying your Lit'l Smokies thoroughly with paper towels before rolling them in the dough; this helps the dough adhere and crisp up.
Ketchup, mustard, honey mustard, BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, Dijon mustard, pizza sauce, blue cheese dressing, Chick-fil-A sauce or even sour cream are all great options, the possibilities are endless.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use a Sharp Blade: For the cleanest dough strips without tearing, use a very sharp kitchen knife or a pizza cutter.
- Don't Overcrowd: While they should form a football shape, leave just enough space for heat circulation to ensure every "pigskin" browns evenly.
- Seasoning Swaps: For extra flavor, try dusting the tops with everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds before baking.
- Reheating: If you have leftovers, they stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the oven to maintain that signature crunch.
Other Great Appetizers
- Crispy Oven-Baked Buffalo Wings
- Crispy Cheese and Bacon Potato Rounds
- The Ultimate Easy Warm Bacon Cheese Dip (Perfect Party Appetizer!)
- Croque Monsieur Toast Points: A Delicious And Easy Appetizer
- Quick & Easy Warm and Cheesy Bean Dip
- Easy Oven-Baked Honey Teriyaki Chicken Wings with Sriracha Aioli Sauce
- Quick & Easy Pepperoni Pizza Crescent Rolls
- Mini Loaded Baked Potatoes
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Easy Pigskins in a Blanket Football
Ingredients
- 14 oz Lit'l Smokies
- 2 tubes Refrigerated Crescent Rolls 8 oz each
- 1 tbs Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 Large Egg
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper freshly ground
- 2 pieces String Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Remove the Lit'l Smokies from the package and place them on paper towels to dry them off.
- Next, unroll the crescent roll dough and separate the dough at the seams into triangles.
- Using a large kitchen knife, cut the triangles into either two or three strips. The number of strips you cut depends on the number of Lit'l Smokies that are in your package.
- Then take each piece of dough, lay the Lit'l Smokie along the top edge, and roll the dough straight until it's wrapped all the way around.
- Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper and place some of the wrapped Lit'l Smokies in an oval shape slightly apart. Then, fill in the center of the oval with the remaining ones. Place a column of smokies in the center of the oval so that the dough slides are facing each other. Then place a column of smokies on either side with the exposed smokies facing each other. The number of wrapped smokies will determine how many will make up the oval and how many will fill the center.
- Add the egg and the heavy whipping cream to a small bowl. Then, using a fork or a small whisk, combine the two.
- Next, brush the tops of each wrapped Lit'l Smokie with the egg wash. And sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Then bake in a 375°F oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
- After 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. Tear the string cheese into strips, then lay two strips end to end to create one long line down the center of the wrapped smokies. Then lay the other four strips across the long line in the center to look like the laces of a football. Then, return it to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
- After the cheese has melted, take the pan out of the oven. Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and set it on a wire rack to cool the Pigskins in a Blanket Football for 10 minutes.
- Serve with a variety of dipping sauces including, but not limited to ketchup, mustard, honey mustard, BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, Dijon mustard, pizza sauce, blue cheese dressing, Chick-fil-A sauce, cheese sauce, or sour cream.
- Yield 12 servings
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