Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Love pigs in a blanket? Try these more elegant sausage pizza bites. They're great for kids and can be made in advance.
| 3 sweet Italian sausages | 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese | |
| 1 ball (8 ounces) pizza dough | 1 1/2 cups pizza sauce, for serving | |
| 1 teaspoon oregano |
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
In a medium sauce pan, add 1 cup water and the sausages. Cook over medium heat until all the water has evaporated, turning the sausages once, about 12 - 18 minutes. Remove from the pan. Heat a grill or grill pan on medium high heat. Grill the sausages until grill marks appear. Remove and cool.
Meanwhile, combine the oregano and Parmesan cheese with the pizza dough. Pinch off golf-ball sized ball from the dough. On a slightly floured surface roll the balls into 7- to 8-inch strips. Make 9 strips. Cut the sausages into 1-inch pieces; each sausage should make 3 pieces. Place one piece of sausage in the center of each strip. Wrap the dough around the sausage piece and twist the dough on top. If the dough doesn't stick to itself, slightly moisten the dough with water and re-twist. Place the knots on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until golden brown. (The knots can be made a day in advance and baked right before the party.) Slightly heat the pizza sauce and serve with the knots.