Pigs in the Pen: Fun Breakfast Idea for Kids
I find it hard to be creative when it comes to breakfast. I’m not exactly a morning person, so when the kids are starving and demanding “first meal” before I’ve had a cup of coffee, it’s easy for me to grab cereal and fruit for them as an easy cop out. We do all kinds of other standard fare on mornings I’m more caffeinated — eggs, toast, oatmeal, pancakes — but I love this breakfast idea from Mike Adamick’s book Dad’s Book Of Awesome Recipes: From Sweet Candy Bacon to Cheesy Chicken Fingers, 100+ Recipes the Whole Family Will Enjoy!. It’s quick, easy and even picky eaters are going to enjoy a breakfast called Pigs in the Pen!
Pigs in the Pen
You probably remember this one well; it’s a childhood classic. The thing is, it’s ridiculously easy — as in, easy enough for kids to create their own childhood classics. I like to mix these up by using maple syrup breakfast sausage instead of sliced hot dogs or mini Vienna sausages, because I think they taste better this way. But really, use whatever type of rolled sausage meat you like. Slap on some pre-made biscuit dough, and you’re in for a fun morning, promise. (You can save a few for lunchboxes, too.)
- 1 roll of refrigerated biscuit dough
- 8 maple syrup sausages
- Cheddar cheese and maple syrup (optional)
- Here’s what you do:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Unroll the biscuit dough. You may need to help your sous chef with this unless he’s old enough. I always get spooked by the pop and the razor-thin edges of the unrolled can. Careful, yo.
- Cut the sausages in roughly 3"-long segments.
- Cut the dough to form strips. Roll each strip around a piggy and place on the cookie sheet. Make sure the flap is on the bottom when you put the piggies on the cookie sheet, as the cooking will seal it all shut without having to use toothpicks.
- Now cook for 10–15 minutes or until golden, crispy brown.
Dad tip: If you want, add a tiny strip of cheese alongside the sausage before you roll everything up. It makes for a gooey, sausage-cheese fest. Dip the piggies into syrup and you’re golden, Ponyboy.
Fun, right? Simple, but it might be something fun to make for a Father’s Day breakfast in bed. What’s a fun breakfast you make in your house? —Erin
Excerpted from Dad’s Book Of Awesome Recipes: From Sweet Candy Bacon to Cheesy Chicken Fingers, 100+ Recipes the Whole Family Will Enjoy! by Mike Adamick. Copyright © 2015 F+W Media, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
About the Author:
Mike Adamick (SAN FRANCISCO) is a stay-at-home dad who writes for the San Francisco Chronicle’s parenting blog, The Poop; KQED Radio; and the Daddy Issues column on Jezebel.com. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, McSweeney’s, Details magazine, MSNBC, NPR’s “Morning Edition,” the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Observer, among other media outlets. Mike lives in San Francisco with his wife, Dana, and daughter, Emmeline. You can visit his website at www.mikeadamick.com.