Jamie Oliver's perfect pigs in blankets are a must for Christmas Day - recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make pigs in blankets Jamie Oliver? ›

Lay 1 rasher of smoked streaky bacon – and it must be smoked – on a board and run the side of your knife along it to flatten it out, meaning you can chop it in the middle and use half a rasher for each blanket. Place your filling on top, then roll and wrap it up, lining them up in an oiled roasting tray as you go.

It is estimated that over 128 million pigs in blankets are eaten on Christmas Day alone!

A pig in a blanket is a sausage (originally a pork sausage, hence the “pig”) wrapped in either a pancake, biscuit dough, or a crescent-style piece of pastry (you guessed it, that's the “blanket”).

Why are pigs in blankets eaten at Christmas? There are no specific known origins of pigs in blankets becoming a traditional part of the British Christmas dinner, but the first written record of the product in general goes back to 1957.

Serve plain or with ketchup and mustard on the side. These are best served warm or at room temperature the day they are made, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Why not add a bit of stuffing or cranberry sauce to go with it? Turkey is definitely the most traditional meat for Christmas dinner and you can take a look at our wide selection of whole, rolled and diced turkeys here – perfect for your traditional Christmas dinner!

In the United States the term "pigs in a blanket" typically refers to hot dogs in croissant dough, but may include Vienna sausages, co*cktail or breakfast/link sausages baked inside biscuit dough or croissant dough.

It might seem obvious (duh, it's a co*cktail sausage wrapped In bacon, right?!) but here's the kicker: we're rather alone in our bacon-wrapped culinary tradition. In the US, pigs in blankets are instead known as pigs in a blanket, and are typically small sausages wrapped not in bacon but in croissant or biscuit dough.

Traditionally the sausage used is a co*cktail-sized pork-based chipolata and the wrapping a streaky bacon, but variations include those using chorizo or chicken sausage, using sausages with added ingredients such as apples or chestnuts, using full-sized chipolatas, or using flavored or smoked bacon.

This practice, which is commonly known as garbage feeding, can spread diseases if contaminated meat products are fed to pigs. Garbage feeding has caused swine disease outbreaks in many countries around the world, which negatively impacted swine health and were costly to control.

Why can't you eat meat on Christmas? ›

Origins and tradition

The long tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the Roman Catholic tradition of abstaining from eating meat on the eve of a feast day. As no meat or animal fat could be used on such days, observant Catholics would instead eat fish (typically fried in oil).

Don't allow any perishable foods, including cooked foods or leftovers, to sit out at room temperature for more than two hours. After cooking, serve your dish while it's still 140 F or warmer.

Traditionally the sausage used is a co*cktail-sized pork-based chipolata and the wrapping a streaky bacon, but variations include those using chorizo or chicken sausage, using sausages with added ingredients such as apples or chestnuts, using full-sized chipolatas, or using flavored or smoked bacon.

Instead of baking them right away, cover the cookie sheet tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 hours. When you're ready to bake your crescent roll hot dogs, remove the plastic wrap and bake them as directed. Easy-peasy!

CAN YOU WRAP PIGS IN A BLANKET THE NIGHT BEFORE? This is a great make-ahead recipe! Make the pastry and wrap your pigs in a blanket the night before, or even sooner! Once they're frozen hard on the baking sheet, you can transfer them to a zip-top bag and they'll keep in the freezer for months!

In the United Kingdom, “pigs in blankets” refers to small sausages (usually chipolatas) wrapped in bacon though in Scotland they are often called kilted soldiers.