Pigs in a Blanket

Back to the dinners!

Yes, we have been eating dinner around here. Yes, I have been taking pictures of [most] everything. I just haven't gotten around to posting everything--I needed to take some time off for finals.

But now, finals are DONE! Break it here. Let the good times rolll.

I am sad, and slightly embarrassed to say that Pigs in a Blanket are quite the staple around the Yerrick household. They are pretty much our go-to dinner when I don't feel like cooking, but we don't feel like going out either, or if we're in need of a speedy dinner. The whole dealio, from start to finish, takes about 20 whole minutes.

You may be wondering, "Does she realllly need to share a recipe for Pigs in a Blanket? Doesn't everyone know how to make them?" My answer, my friends, is this: Yes. I need to share because, No, not everyone knows. Actually, most everyone makes them differently.

Now, for those few of you that are completely lost, wondering, WHAT THE HAY is a Pig in a Blanket? I mourn for you. I mourn for your childhood, lackless of little delicious piggies wrapped in crunchy, flaky blankets.

I present:

Pigs in a Blanket





What you'll need:
1 package of Lil'Smokies Cocktail Weenies (I got the cheese filled ones for extra deliciousness.)
1 package of crescent roll dough
salt & pepper
chili powder
garlic powder


Yep. That's really all you need. No, I'm not kidding.

Here's what you do, although you can probably figure it out from the picture...



Get your supplies ready.



Pop the can (I can never get the dang thing to pop...Just once I'd like it to pop normal without me having to bang it on the counter several times to dent it, UGH!) and roll out the dough on a sheet tray lined with foil.



Separate all the pre-cut triangles.

Now, those are too big for my Lil'Smokies, aren't they? Plus, there are about a million Lil'Smokies in a package and only 8 dough triangles. What to do, what to do?

I'll tell you:



Cut the dough triangles into 3 or 4 long-mini triangles with a pizza cutter. Tada! Now you have 8 times 3 or 4 (that's 24 or 32) pieces of dough for your million Lil'Smokies.

Let the rolling begin!




Put the Smokie on the fat side of the triangle and roll it towards the smaller end. It makes for a nicer presentation, and we all know, it's all about presentation on these suckers.



See? Gorgeous.
Keep on rollin' til you have a little weenie farm.




I just said weenie farm. Ha. I said it again.

Weenie farm, weenie farm, weenie farm. I need some coffee.

Well, now that that's done...This, folks, is where things are about to get craaazy.



Sprinkle them all with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder. Just for a little extra bit of flavor.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375˚ for 10-12 minutes, or until done.



This is what you get. Yum. Simple. Yummmm.





I'm guessing that most normal people don't eat these for dinner. We do. Don't judge. They are great for an appetizer or an after-school snack as well. For dinner, I usually pair them with Mac and Cheese and a vegetable of sorts, for  a well rounded meal.

I've also heard that Paula Dean has her own version of these. I'll have to look into that....

Baked Ziti

No, no. I haven't forgotten about you guys--promise! It's just been a really busy week. I haven't forgotten to take pictures of my cooking, though. I just haven't had time to post what we've had for dinner the rest of the week.

I left off with Monday when we had delicious Scallops & Pasta. On Tuesday night we ended up going to our friend's house for dinner. Then, Wednesday, I broke we broke our no going out to dinner deal and went out to dinner. Boo, us. But, in my defense, when you've had a long week by Wednesday, you deserve some good comforting Mexican food. Right?



So, back to Tuesday. We went to our good friend's house and scarfed down an Italian Feast! Phil made us all a delicious baked ziti--and he shared his top secret recipe with me! So, while I don't have step by step instructions for you, I do have a scrum-diddly-umptious recipe for a rather simple and satisfying dinner!



Baked Ziti Made by Phil Brock. Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry ziti pasta
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
• 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Yumyumyum. Delicious and simple. Serve with garlic toast and a caesar salad. Perfect weeknight dinner!

Outtake: While I was setting the timer...

I should have Pork Tenderloin with apples & leeks and cauliflower gratin for you tomorrow (or Monday)...Until then, I leave you with a brain-teaser :

At 7 a.m. a high-speed electric train moving 90 mph leaves New York heading for Chicago. At 8 a.m. a train running 110 mph leaves Chicago heading for New York. The distance between the two cities is 700 miles. The weather and the wind speed is exactly the same for both trains. Since neither train experiences any delays, when the two trains meet which one will be closer to New York?