Little Smokies
Quick, easy, and inexpensive to make, LITTLE SMOKIES are bite-sized party starters slow-cooked in a homemade BBQ sauce, sweet brown sugar, and zesty mustard. I wouldn’t blame you if your mouth just watered after reading that because mine certainly did. The perfect hors d’oeuvre to feed a crowd!
Those Little Smokies you find in the grocery stores are already cooked but since they are frozen, you have to thaw and recook it. But you wouldn’t eat it just as it is, you’d want something exciting to go along with it right? That’s why I would like to share with you an easy saucy recipe to get your party started.
What are Little Smokies?
Don’t mistake these cocktail weenies for baby carrots although they might look a little similar. Little Smokies are definitely made from meat. You can find bags and bags of these mini sausages in the frozen section ready to be heated and served.
What makes these cocktail wieners so good is that they are made from the best meat cuts. You might be more familiar with it as Pigs in a Blanket but this is just one of its many applications. Making many dishes from Little Smokies isn’t a problem either because each pack contains about 40 links! Imagine what dishes you could do with those.
Ingredients
This crowd-pleasing appetizer only uses five (5) simple ingredients. Yes! Just five! And it’s not even one of those complicated hard-to-find ingredients. You’ll just need:
- Packed of Little Smokies
- Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Brown Sugar
- Dijon Mustard
- Garlic Powder
Flavor Variations
Just because this recipe only has 5 ingredients, doesn’t mean you can’t put your own touch in this dish. In fact, it’d be easier for you to customize this recipe to suit your tastebuds. Wanna explore what you can do other than what I’ve listed in the recipe? Great! You can check out these other flavor variations below.
- No homemade BBQ sauce? No worries. Feel free to use the store-bought ones. It works either way!
- Instead of brown sugar, you may also use sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or white sugar with a touch of molasses.
- Love some heat? Try adding any of these: sriracha sauce, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or crushed red pepper flakes. Adjust accordingly based on your heat tolerance.
- Add some crumbled bacon into it or cook only half of the lil smokies and the other half would be meatballs.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
Store any leftover Lil Smokies in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3-5 days. And when reheating, simply microwave them for 1-2 minutes or simmer in a pot on the stovetop until warmed through.
As for making it ahead, well, you can mix the sauce ahead up to three (3) days in advance. Keep it in a jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator. And once ready to cook, just throw it into the crockpot.
Ways to Use Little Smokies
As I mentioned earlier, Little Smokies can be served in a variety of applications. I’ve made a list of a few ways to serve your cocktail weenies that you would definitely enjoy.
- If you want a full meal, why not serve it as a rice topping? Serve it with hot garlic rice and throw in a fried egg then garnish with parsley, now you have a breakfast little smokies plate.
- Mixed veggies are also a good idea to serve your meat bits especially when stir-fried with a little butter.
- Play little smokies roulette by mixing a bunch of glazed baby carrots. Is it a cocktail wiener or a cute veggie cut? It all depends on your luck.😉
- Make your Mac and Cheese Extra Special by adding mini sausages. The flavors blend well with cheese and will be balanced out by the macaroni.
- Serve it with other carbs like Mashed Potatoes, Baked Crispy Potato Wedges, or these Sweet Potato Fries.
Other Fun Appetizers
Impress your friends or family by serving these flavorful appetizers you can make in the comfort of your own home. Here are some recipes for your party or snacking needs.
How To Make Little Smokies
In a medium mixing bowl, combine bbq sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and garlic powder. Add little smokies to the bottom of the crockpot and cover with sauce. Cook 2 ½ hours (1 hour on high and the remaining time on low) or until heated through stirring occasionally. Cook 2 ½ hours (1 hour on high and the remaining time on low) or until heated through stirring occasionally. Serve out of crockpot with toothpicks as a party app!
Little Smokies
Ingredients
- 2 16-oz packages little smokies
- 1 cup homemade BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine bbq sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and garlic powder.
- Add little smokies to the bottom of the crockpot and cover with sauce.
- Cook 2 ½ hours (1 hour on high and the remaining time on low) or until heated through while stirring occasionally.
- Serve out of crockpot with toothpicks as a party app!
Tips & Notes:
- For some added spice, add hot sauce. ¼ - ½ cup depending on your spice tolerance.
- If you don’t have a crockpot, use a pot on the stove and cook over low heat for the same amount of time.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
So easy to make! Definitely had to laugh at the lil Skokie roulette usage. Haha! This would prob be a good family meal but would have to say to cut them up or only for older kiddos
Hahah. That was clever, right? Lol.