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Pillow Dogs are perfect for a kids party if the grown ups don't eat them all first. Shredded cheese and a smoky cocktail sausage is nestled into a pillow of biscuit dough. Let the kids help with assembly. It's gonna be awesome.
Okay, I need some help from people who have lived in both the US and the UK. This may also apply to people who have lived in the US and anywhere in Europe, but I can't be sure. Does Dijon mustard taste stronger in the UK? Back home, I used to really like Dijon mustard, but here, it tastes like an actual chemical weapon. If you add even a little bit to a recipe, it dominates all the other flavors. I can't find any reference to a differentiation in the recipe between the two regions. Has anyone else noticed this?
I really love old school yellow "American" mustard. A lot of my hot dog and sausage consumption is really just an excuse to eat gallons of yellow mustard. I went through a phase in high school where I was eating a lot of 7-11 hot dogs with mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise. I'm weird. It was good. I was dancing 6 hours a day, and my mom was desperate for me to slow down and remember to eat anything. She wasn't particularly fussed about what it was.
What makes Pillow Dogs so awesome?
These Pillow Dogs are a perfect excuse for consuming all your favorite condiments. They also happen to be perfect slumber party food. You know I have the palate of a 12 year old, so I absolutely love them as well. In the UK, I've had to make some adjustment, but these are really at their best when you're using completely unhealthy convenience foods from the supermarket. Just lean into it every once in a while.
Cocktail sausages are fine, but Lil' Smokies are ideal if you can get them. And yes, you can make your own biscuit dough, but honestly, it's not as good as just popping open a can and letting Pilsbury do all the work. And again, totally shred your own cheese if you must, but we're gonna let the kids make these, so if you want to buy pre-shredded cheese for this, I think that's great. If you're puritanical about whole foods, you're probably not reading this blog anyway.
How to make pillow dogs
These are ridiculously easy if you're using all store-bought ingredients, which is exactly why you should let your kids make them. Start by cutting an unbaked biscuit in half. This can be done with a butter knife, so no big safety concerns. Flatten out the half piece of dough in your hand a bit, then put a pinch of shredded cheese and a sausage on top. Then just sort of pinch the dough up around this. These are pillow dogs rather than pigs in a blanket, so we're not worried about whether or not they stay tightly wrapped up.
Keep your pillow dog making factory going until you've used all your biscuit dough. Place them on a baking sheet, leaving space for your biscuit dough to rise. Bake them for about 12-15 minutes or until the biscuits are golden. Serve with all your favorite condiments for dipping.
FAQ
The main difference in my eyes is that these are much more relaxed and easy to make. We're not worried about the sausages being perfectly wrapped. We're not working with a sticky dough. We're keeping things simple and just digging in with childlike joy.
Make it magical
Mustard is powerful for protection and clarity. The sharp heat of some mustards will certainly grab your attention, so this makes sense. This is a fiery, masculine botanical associated with the planet Mars, so its energy is anything but subtle. Call in the energy of mustard when you want to sharpen your mind or protect your household. (Source: Wings in the Night)
Let's all just relax a little and eat and laugh and play like kids again. Make some Pillow Dogs. It's gonna be awesome.
Looking for more super simple recipes to make with your kids? Try some Chocolate Banana Muffins or a Brownie Butterscotch Parfait.
PrintPillow Dogs
Pillow Dogs are perfect for a kids party if the grown ups don't eat them all first. Shredded cheese and a smoky cocktail sausage is nestled into a pillow of biscuit dough. Let the kids help with assembly.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 container refrigerated biscuit dough*
- Approximately ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 16 Li'l Smokies or cocktail sausages
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C) and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cut each biscuit in half. Place the half biscuit in the palm of your hand and give it a good smash to flatten it out a bit. Place a pinch of cheese in the center of the dough, then place a sausage on top. Pinch the dough up around the sausage and place it on the baking sheet. Repeat with all our dough.
- Bake for 11-14 minutes, or until your biscuit dough is as golden as you like.
- Allow to cool slightly and serve with ridiculous amounts of mustard, if you're into that.
Notes
*If you live in a place without refrigerated biscuit dough, this recipe for self-rising biscuits, while not as convenient, will get the job done.
Keywords: Sausage, Biscuits
Recipe adapted from Sandra Lee.
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and a comment to let me know how it went. Thanks for being awesome.
Anything with sausage is great! These are super cute. You might try making zucchini fritters/pancakes if you have an aversion to veggies. You shred then squeeze out the moisture in the zucchini. Stir in a thick pancake batter and fry up. Kids and adults seem to like them. Also good with corn added to em! I've enjoyed some of your book recommendations in the past. Did you go to the spam jam?
My husband was sick this weekend, so we didn't make it to Spam Jam, but we've been before. It's a lot of fun and benefits a cause very close to my heart, Hawaii Foodbank.