If you’re looking for a winning game day appetizer, these mini crescent hot dogs with cheese dip are always a crowd pleaser. Plus, pre-made crescent rolls dough, and pre-cooked dogs make this pigs in a blanket appetizer a breeze to put together.

Why Everyone Loves This Pigs in a Blanket Recipe

While I am definitely less football and more “there is concert in the middle of this sporting event” type of gal. I’m also all about snacking and getting together with friends and family. And isn’t that exactly what football Sundays are all about?

But, there is no need to wait for Sunday or football to make this pigs in a blanket recipe, because it’s always a good time to have a mini hot dogs and it turns out, literally everyone loves them. These mini crescent hot dogs with cheese dip are a true hit with kids and adults whenever I serve them.

What You Need to Make the these Mini Hot Dogs

crescent dinner rolls
cocktail-size smoked link sausages or hot dogs
flour
pizza cutter

For the Cheese Dipping Sauce

butter
flour
whole milk
medium cheddar, shredded
salt
chilli powder (optional)

(This will yield 25 mini hot dogs. I like to portion at least 5 per person. Typically, I use three cans of crescent dinner rolls and about 60 mini dogs for larger crowds.)

How to Make the Best Pigs in a Blanket

Open your crescent dinner rolls can and unroll the dough. Ignoring the perforated marks, make small rectangles out of the dough. See the photo above.

Roll each hot dog, and place on a cooking sheet. Don’t forget to spray your cooking sheet so the rolls won’t stick.

Follow the directions on the crescent rolls for cooking. Typically, the rolls with the mini hot dogs take the same time to cook.

Dipping Sauce for Mini Hot Dogs

One thing I truly miss from Philly is the love for dipping things into melty, gooey cheddar cheese. In Philly, we dip everything in cheese, from pretzels to fries, and I even know someone who dips their pizza in it. That might be me.

In Southern California if you order cheese fries, they’ll look at you funny and then give you fries topped with mozzarella. Not. The. Same.

My easy cheese dipping sauce is perfect for this pigs in a blanket recipe and it comes together super fast.

To make the cheese dip, start with butter and flour in a small sauce pan. Whisk butter and flour together until they are bubbly. Add milk and whisk until the ingredients have come together.

Once the mixture is think, turn off heat.

Then stir in the shredded cheddar a few scoops at a time, until it melts into the flour and milk mixture.

You may need to turn on the heat again on low to allow the dip to come together. Serve warm and ready to dip into those mini crescent hot dogs.

Mini Crescent Hot Dogs with Cheese Dip

Easy semi homemade pigs in a blanket recipe made with crescent rolls and lil smokies with cheddar cheese dip

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Ingredients

1 8oz can crescent dinner rolls
1 14 oz bag cocktail-size smoked link sausages or hot dogs
1/2 cup flour

For the Cheddar Cheese Dip

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
6 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp chilli powder (optional)

Instructions

Open your crescent dinner rolls can and unroll the dough. Ignoring the perforated marks, make small rectangles out of the dough.
Roll each hot dog, and place on a cooking sheet. Don't forget to spray your cooking sheet so the rolls won't stick.
Follow the directions on the crescent rolls for cooking. Typically, the rolls with the mini hot dogs take the same time to cook.
To prepare the cheddar cheese dipping sauce, start by adding butter and flour to a small saucepan. Heat and whisk the butter and flour together until they become bubbly.
Add milk into the flour and butter mixture. Turn the heat up slightly and allow the milk to come to a simmer while whisking. Allow the mixture to come together and turn off heat once it thickens.
Stir in the shredded cheddar a few spoonfuls at a time, allowing the cheese to melt into your rue.
Once all the cheese is melted into the sauce, stir in the chili powder for a little kick. Think, nacho cheese.
Serve warm with your mini crescent hot dogs!

Additional Notes & Tips for This Mini Hot Dogs Recipe

Can You Use Puff Pastry instead of Crescent Rolls?

First of all, you can of course make the dough for your mini dogs from scratch. I like to save myself time by opting for crescent dinner rolls and cutting them into small rectangles to fit my mini sausages or hot dogs for perfect bigs in the blanket every time.

You can also use puff pastry to make these mini crescent hot dogs. Puff pastry is a a great option for these little smokies in puff pastry. Which makes best pigs in the blanket? To be honest, either truly will make a great appetizer and serving pigs in a blanket with this spicy cheese dip is what makes this ordinary mini hot dogs recipe a stand out.

Have you noticed that everyone loves mini everything? These mini hot dogs are always a hit. Using the already made dough, and pre-cooked dogs, saved tons of time.

How do you keep pigs in a blanket warm for a party?

You can keep them on a tray in the oven at super low heat (200 degrees) and take them out as soon as folks get there.

To keep the cheese warm, you can serve it in a fondue pot, or simply place the cheese in a microwave safe dish and warm it up as needed.

Mini Crescent Hot Dogs with Cheddar Cheese Dip