Pigs in Blankets are a traditional Christmas food usually served with roast turkey at Christmas dinner, but where did they originate?
The first recipes appeared in 1957 but it wasn’t until the 1990s that Delia Smith boosted their popularity after she included them in a Christmas recipe book, and major supermarkets began to sell them.
However, according to Ophdenver, the delicious festive treat may date back to the 1600s. “Rumour has it that way back then manual laborers in England put meat inside of dough for a quick meal on the go. In the United Kingdom these days, ‘pigs in blankets’ refers to small sausages wrapped in bacon which are traditionally served with roast turkey at Christmas dinner.”
In an exclusive taste test for Express.co.uk, we tried Pigs in Blankets from supermarkets Tesco, Aldi, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.
They were all very tasty, but only a couple of supermarkets stood out.
Phoebe Cornish
Pigs in blankets are a must for every Christmas dinner plate, but when it comes to supermarket versions, Morrisons are one to avoid in my opinion.
While the retailer sells them for a reasonable price of just £2.50 for 12, the Morrisons 12 Pigs In Blankets (210g) are hard to get crispy in the oven. Even when cooked according to the instructions, they still came out looking pale and underdone on top.
Instead, I’d recommend Aldi’s Let’s Party Pigs In Blankets (12 pack, 240g), which cost just £1.99. They are not only cheaper, but warrant the crispy topping everyone looks for good pigs in blankets.
Andrea Blazquez
I tried Sainsbury’s Pigs in Blankets (Sainsbury’s Butchers Choice Pigs In Blankets x12, retailing for £3.25 ) and I have to say that I was left disappointed.
Sainsbury’s describes them as “British pork cocktail sausages wrapped in chestnut smoked British streaky bacon with added water”.
I was expecting tasty and succulent Pigs in Blankets, and although they were nice and crispy, and definitely a good choice this Christmas, they lacked the more distinct flavours other supermarkets provide.
After 25 minutes in the oven, the bacon mostly fell off, so the presentation wasn’t the best. I have to agree with Anna Barry – Tesco’s Pigs in Blankets are delicious but Waitrose’s Honey & Rosemary Pigs and Blankets are my favourite.
