This Supermarket Pig in a Blanket Will Be Your Super Bowl MVP

Fewappetizershave stood the test of time as well as the humblepig in a blanket. Perhaps it’s the irresistible combination of juicy, savoryhot dogpaired with flaky puff pastry; there’s a delightful novelty, too, in consuming something mini. Once you add in good mustard for dipping, forget about it. Bite-sized quiches and stuffed mushrooms have never had quite the same effect.

It's that very reliability that makes pigs in a blanket an entertaining favorite, and why they’re frequently found atSuper Bowlparties—a staple right up there withwings, buffalo chicken dip, and other salt-heavy snacks. You can always make them from scratch, but buying them frozen from the grocery store still yields delicious (and quicker) results. With the Super Bowl fast approaching, we were curious to see which brand would yield the absolute best cocktail franks. We decided it was time for ataste test.

After calling in samples and making several trips to the grocery store, we ended up with eight different varieties of frozen pigs in a blanket from seven popular brands: Sabrett, Hebrew National,Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Spring Valley (by Quality Frozen Foods), Bagel Bites, and Super Pretzel. We heated them up in our test kitchen and diligently tried every single one—without condiments, and, perhaps unwisely, without water either. It was delicious, salty, dehydrating work, but it ultimately led us to the discovery of the one true supreme mini hot dog, and we’d gladly do it again. Read on to find out our top three picks.

Sabrett is aballparkclassic, so it stands to reason that it would make A-plus pigs in a blanket, too. Our editors loved the compact size and the ratio of puff to meat; the “blanket” was perfectly flaky, encasing a snappy, flavorful hot dog on the inside. Out of all the brands we tried, this got almost double the score of any other cocktail frank.

“Wow—I'm blown away,” digital restaurant editor Maria Yagoda wrote. "I have no notes."

Trader Joe’s puts a spin on pigs in a blanket by sprinkling the puff pastry with Parmesan cheese. The move adds a lot of flavor and sets them apart from others on the market; however, we wondered how they would pair with classic condiments like mustard and ketchup.

“A little different from standard pigs in a blanket, but the pastry is puffy and crispy,” associate digital editor Megan Soll said. “The dog is well done and it’s a great package overall.”

Hebrew National is also known for its pigs in a blanket, which are made from kosher beef. Editors felt that this brand had the best-tasting hot dog out of the bunch, but what kept it from being number one was the pastry—it wasn’t as flaky or flavorful as some of its competitors.

“This is the classic pig in a blanket to me,” senior audience engagement editor Meg Clark wrote.

We also asked our editors about their favorite ways to zhuzh up store-bought pigs in a blanket, in case you’re in the mood to experiment. Here are their top picks:

Try adding smoked paprika for depth of flavor, or, sprinkling on everything bagel seasoning. One of the brands we tried,Wegmans, has pastry-wrapped mini hot dogs that already come with everything seasoning on them if you want to give it a test drive.

你有几个选择。我们喜欢混合mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise together for a dipping sauce; fish sauce mayonnaise or chili crisp mayonnaise would also work beautifully. TLDR: grab mayo, and you’ll be off to a good start.

Take a note from Trader Joe’s and add a little shreddedParmesanto your pigs in a blanket.