cheddar brats in puff pastry a.k.a FANCY PIGS IN A BLANKET

Cheddar brats in puff pastry…with everything seasoning and a horseradish honey mustard sauce, that is.

Holy Smokes.

They’re too good., Too good, y’all. And that says a lot when the original is already super tasty. But this?

This is fire.

I love making fancy versions of yummy, trampy things. Who doesn’t love a pig in a blanket??! Whether they’re tiny at a party, or big for a meal… they’re just a really good thing.

I grew up with my mom having pigs in a blanket for Halloween dinner when we were really little. So, they’re super nostalgic for me. And making a revved up version made me very happy. My kids love these in their lunch boxes and they also freeze well! I do want to make it clear that I used fully cooked bratwurst instead of raw… it’s very difficult to control the temperature of a meat when it’s wrapped in pastry, so I didn’t want to take any chances. But these are made with extra sharp cheddar, wrapped in store-bought puff pastry (sure you can make your own, but it didn’t affect my day knowing that I didn’t), sprinkled with a homemade everything seasoning blend (think everything bagel 😉 ) and baked til golden brown and crispy and flaky, but tender on the inside. Then I whipped up a horseradish honey mustard sauce for dipping.

Smokes of Holy.

These are not only great for a school / work lunch, but also for a family dinner with a big salad on the side, and also for game day!! You can slice them into smaller pieces, stick a toothpick in ’em and they’re instant football munchers.

They’re so easy to make and I surely hope you do.

CHEDDAR BRATS IN PUFF PASTRY WITH EVERYTHING SEASONING AND HORSERADISH HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE

• Thaw 1 (17.3 oz) box of puff pastry – 2 sheets per box (such as Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets) until completely thawed… overnight in the fridge, or a couple hours on the counter.
• Line 1 large cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper.
• Spray with cooking spray for extra insurance.
• Using the lined cookie sheets as your work surface, unroll 1 sheet of pastry and smooth out the wrinkles.
• Slice into 4 equal squares.
• Place 1 slice of extra sharp cheddar cheese in the center of each square (such as Cabot New York Extra Sharp Slices)
• Place 1 fully cooked bratwurst centered at a diagonal (such as Johnsonville Stadium Brats)
• Starting at an open corner, roll the pastry over the brat and the cheese until you reach the other corner. Pinch to secure and fold in any excess dough on the sides to prevent burning.
• Brush the tops with milk, half & half or cream to promote golden browning and to give the seasoning something to stick to (you can also do an egg wash = beaten egg + splash of water, but I feel like that’s wasting an egg for such a small job)
• Sprinkle with a fine layer of Everything Seasoning (recipe below)
• Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until they’re beautifully golden and the cheese has melted and the brats have darkened.
• Serve with the Horseradish Honey Mustard Sauce for dipping, if desired (recipe below)

Serve warm or room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days, or well sealed in the freezer for a few weeks.

ABBEY’S EVERYTHING SEASONING™

In a small bowl, combine the following :

• 2 TB dried / dehydrated garlic flakes a.k.a minced garlic
• 2 TB dried/dehydrated onion flakes a.k.a minced onion
• 2 TB white sesame seeds
• 2 TB poppy seeds

In a dry skillet, toast the spices on medium heat until you can smell them stronger… a couple minutes or so, shaking the pan.

Transfer back to the bowl and add:

• 1 TB flaky kosher / sea salt

Mix to combine. Once cooled, store covered in a cool, dry place with your other spices and use on EVERYTHING.

HORSERADISH HONEY MUSTARD

You can either buy your favorite honey mustard and doctor it up with a spoonful of prepared horseradish to taste, or make your own. Subbing agave nectar or maple syrup is also a fun option!

• 3/4 cup dijon or whole grain mustard
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 TB prepared horseradish (start with less and taste to see if you like it there before going for more…also depends on youtr mustard’s strength)

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thanks for reading, y’all. much love xx