The Cheap Appetizer Anthony Bourdain Thought Everyone Should Have In The Freezer

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During his decades-long, globe-trotting career, Anthony Bourdain ate some seriously interesting meals ranging from unpretentious street foods to some of the most expensive on the planet. His fans couldn't help but be curious as to what this well-seasoned chef and traveler cooked up in the privacy of his own home. In 2016, he uncovered that mystery when he released his "Appetites" cookbook. In it, Bourdain shared the dishes he fed himself, his family, and his friends. He also included things like entertaining tips. According to him, one could never go wrong by serving a platter of pigs in a blanket.

In reference to these craveable appetizers, Bourdain wrote, "No matter what you serve, no matter how beautifully presented, strikingly garnished, exotic in flavor, or expensive...what everybody wants, what they will be all over like a swarm, every time, is commercially-made, freezer case-sourced pigs in (expletive) blankets. It doesn't matter who your guests are. They will eat them, and they will love them." Indeed, wrapping up chunks of wieners in crescent roll dough is absolutely one of the best ways you can cook hot dogs. And while they're definitely easy to find premade in the freezers of any given grocery store, they're also a cinch to pull off on your own.

Whipping up a batch of pigs in a blanket for immediate enjoyment or for freezing can be as simple as buying a package of hot dogs and a can of crescent rolls, which you'll need to properly cut, to pull this humble hors d'oeuvre off. Bread and pizza dough can also be used, but for a crisp shell and super-buttery flavor, use puff pastry. Whatever you opt to use, brush the unbaked pastry or dough with egg wash before baking for a golden brown, shiny result. You can also sprinkle the tops of each pig in a blanket with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything bagel seasoning, or flaky sea salt and cracked pepper.

Serving these appetizers with a dipping sauce is always a good idea. Something as simple as classic yellow mustard and ketchup would disappoint none of your party guests. Additional dipping options of honey mustard, tangy barbecue sauce, a creamy cheese sauce, or sriracha mayonnaise are also good choices to elevate this easy appetizer. Aside from wrapping up small pieces of hot dogs, perfectly bite-sized cocktail wieners also work great. For a breakfast version, swap the hot dogs for breakfast sausage links and serve with maple syrup or honey for dipping.