Today Show: Party Appetizers
Food & Wine test kitchen senior editor Justin Chapple was in Today’s Kitchen to show off some simple five-ingredient appetizer ideas. From Hogs in a Blanket to Smoked Salmon Involtini, there are plenty of great ideas to choose from.
Today Show: Food & Wine Hogs in a Blanket Recipe Ingredients

Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple used puff pastry to make Hogs in a Blanket and another party appetizer of Fig & Stilton Squares on Today Show. (Kittibowornphatnon / Shutterstock.com)
Justin Chapple said that these Hogs in a Blanket are a better version of Pigs in a Blanket. “What you get are these incredible, puffy Hogs in a Blanket,” Chapple said of what happens after the freezing step in this process.
As a bonus tip, you can prepare these and leave them unbaked in the freezer for up to one month. Just thaw them before putting them in the oven.
- 7 oz thawed Puff Pastry (cut in four 5” squares)
- 4 3-oz Andouille Sausages
- 2 tbsp Whole Grain Mustard
- 1 Egg Yolk (+1 tbsp Water)
- 1/4 cup Major Grey’s Chutney
Food & Wine: Today Show Hogs in a Blanket Recipe Directions
- Preheat the oven at 375 F.
- Brush the edges of each puff pastry square with egg wash.
- Put the sausages on the bottom edges of each square and roll the pastry up, pressing at the edges to form a seal.
- Freeze the rolled sausages for about 10 minutes so they firm up.
- Slice each rolled sausage into 1/2” pieces and arrange them in three mini muffin pans with the cut sides facing up. Bake about 25 minutes, until golden.
- Let cool on a rack lined with paper towels.
- Roughly pulse chutney with mustard in a food processor and serve as a dipper for the Hogs in a Blanket.
Food & Wine: Today Show Fig & Stilton Squares Recipe Ingredients
Puff pastry comes to the rescue again for this simple snack. You can serve it baked or at room temperature.
- 1 14-oz package thawed Puff Pastry
- 3/4 cup Stilton Cheese crumbles
- 1/2 cup Fig Preserves
Today Show: Food & Wine Fig & Stilton Squares Recipe Directions
- Roll out the puff pastry on a flour-dusted prep surface to a rectangle of about 16” x 11 1/2”. Trim it down to 15” x 10 1/2” and put it on a large baking sheet with a rimmed edge.
- Cut the pastry into four dozen 1 3/4” squares. Freeze the squares for about half an hour.
- Preheat the oven at 375 F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place 12 square on the parchment and top them with a second sheet of paper. Place another baking sheet on top, nested inside the first. (Repeat this with another set of baking sheets, if you have them.)
- Bake pastry for about 35 minutes per batch, until golden. Let squares cool as you repeat the process until all have been baked.
- Arrange cooled squares on a baking sheet and top them with 1/2 tsp fig preserves. Sprinkle Stilton crumbles on top and bake about five minutes, just enough to start melting the cheese.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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