This twist on pigs in a blanket amps up the flavor factor by wrapping buttery puff pastry around kielbasa, then topping the results with bacon and crispy cheese. You can sub in the sausage of your choice, of course, but kielbasa lends this party favorite plenty of spice, smoke and flavor, says food writer Sonya Keister, whose new cookbook, “Chef’s Table: Concepts and Recipes for Gathering,” includes a whole chapter on snacks perfect for tailgating or watching the game.
These are crowd pleasers, she says, “Just don’t forget the dipping sauce.”
Kielbasa Puff Pastry with Hot Honey Dipping Sauce
Serves 10 to 12
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Mike’s Hot Honey
½ cup crème fraiche
1 sheet (½ package) puff pastry
1 egg
Flour for dusting
1 pound fully cooked kielbasa or andouille sausage
3/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
½ cup crumbled, cooked bacon
DIRECTIONS
To make the hot honey dipping sauce, whisk the mustard, hot honey and creme fraiche with salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, thaw puff pastry according to package instructions — overnight in the fridge is best.
Make an egg wash by whisking 1 egg with a teaspoon of water. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
Lightly flour your work surface. Roll out dough and cut into six narrow triangles; poke a few holes in each triangle with a fork. Spread a triangle with some of the Dijon hot honey sauce. Place a sausage on top, then roll up, starting from the wider edge, as if you were making crescent rolls. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with remaining puff pastry dough and sausages.
Poke a few more holes in the top of each puff pastry crescent. Brush with egg wash, then top with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon. Place in fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Bake on bottom rack for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown and flakey. Cut each crescent in half and top with any remaining bacon. Serve with Hot Honey Sauce for dipping.
— Courtesy Sonya Keister, “Chef’s Table: Concepts and Recipes for Gathering” (Keister, $40)
