Description
Smoky pig shots bring together crispy bacon cups filled with creamy cheese and sausage mixture. Hearty Wisconsin-style appetizers deliver bold flavors perfect for game day gatherings or casual parties. You’ll savor each rich, indulgent bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12–15 sausage links (or kielbasa, sliced into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 lb (454 g) bacon (thick-cut preferred)
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup brown sugar (for coating)
- 1 tbsp BBQ seasoning
- ¼ cup diced jalapenos (optional, for heat)
- Toothpicks (soaked in water for 10 minutes, to prevent burning)
Instructions
- Preparation: Encase bite-sized sausage segments with half-strips of bacon, fastening securely with toothpicks to form compact culinary capsules.
- Filling Creation: Harmonize cream cheese with sharp cheddar, incorporating minced jalapenos and BBQ seasoning into a velvety, flavor-packed blend.
- Assembly: Lavishly populate each bacon-wrapped vessel with the spirited cheese mixture, ensuring complete and enticing coverage.
- Sweetening: Delicately dust the tops with brown sugar, introducing a caramelized undertone that balances the robust savory profile.
- Smoking Process: Ignite the smoker to 250F, strategically positioning pig shots on a wire rack to optimize smoke circulation and even heat distribution.
- Transformation: Smoke for 90-120 minutes, allowing the bacon to develop a mahogany-tinted crispness and the filling to become gloriously molten and bubbling.
- Finishing: Extract from the smoker, allowing a brief respite for flavor melding and temperature equilibration, then serve these indulgent morsels while warmth and intensity peak.
Notes
- Bacon Selection: Choose thick-cut bacon to ensure sturdy vessel walls and prevent potential collapsing during smoking process.
- Temperature Control: Monitor smoker temperature closely to prevent burning; maintain consistent 250F for even cooking and optimal bacon crispness.
- Cheese Mixture Consistency: Mix cream cheese at room temperature for smoother blending and easier filling without lumps or air pockets.
- Toothpick Placement: Secure bacon strips with toothpicks before filling to maintain structural integrity and prevent unwrapping during cooking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 386
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 61 mg