Lit'l Smokies by Hillshire Farms are yummy and easy to cook up in many different variations. If you want a quick appetizer, then you can't go wrong with Little Smokies.

Be sure to check out my classic Little Smokie recipes and also my Pineapple Smokies. Then, let you hair blow in the wind and try out some of the other Little Smokie recipes that make these mini sausages so popular year after year.

Little Smokie Pockets

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of canned biscuits (or more biscuit packs if serving a crowd)
• Little Smokies – 1 per biscuit (cut in half)
• BBQ sauce (favorite brand at a scant TBS per biscuit)
• Cheddar Cheese (scant TBS per biscuit on the cheese too)

Directions:

Roll the biscuits out flatter. You can do this with a rolling pen or just mash them out flat with your hand. You want them large enough to cover a Lit’l Smokie cut in half. This will be thinner with the store brand biscuits and thicker with the premium biscuits. Both work fine. I lean to the less expensive store brands on this one.

Cut the Little Smokies in half long-wise. And, then place those in the middle of the rolled out biscuits.

Top the Smokies with the barbecue sauce and cheese. Don’t overdo it. It doesn’t take much to add a bit of flavor.

Roll the mashed biscuits up around the Little Smokies and seal off by mashing the edges tight.

Bake at 375 degrees F for around 15 minutes. Times can vary depending on the oven. When the bread is done (nicely browned), the Lit’l Smokies are ready.

Zippy Little Smokies in the Crock Pot

Ingredients:

• I package of Lit’l Smokies (1 lb.)
• I cup of applesauce
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 TBS. Vinegar
• 2 TBS. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce (or favorite hot sauce)

Directions:

Put the applesauce, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce in a crock pot. Stir the mixture well. You may want to spray the crock pot with Pam spray first to make the clean up easier.

Add the Little Smokies.

Heat on high for an hour and then set to low for a gathering, or use low heat and let the Smokies simmer along for a few hours to heat them through and mesh the flavors.

Little Smokie Beer Appetizers

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Little Smokies (1 lb.1 can beer (may need less – watch the sauce)
• 1 jar of BBQ sauce (about 2 cups)
• ¼ cup vinegar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 TBS. ketchup
• 1 tsp. mustard

Directions:

Put the Smokies in a skillet with the beer and simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain the Smokies and put in the crock pot with the BBQ sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and mustard. If the mixture looks too thick, add a little beer – not much. Just a splash or so as indicated.

Let these simmer along a couple of hours.

Microwave Orange Smokies

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Lit’l Smokies (1 lb.)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 TBS. Flour
• 1 TBS. Mustard
• 1 TBS. Vinegar
• ¼ cup concentrated orange juice (do not dilute)

Directions:

Mix the sugar, flour, mustard, vinegar and orange juice in a microwave safe bowl. Add the Smokies and stir until coated.

Heat on high for 5 minutes. Check. If the Smokies are not heated through, heat more. Microwaves vary on heating, so go a minute until the appetizers are ready.

These can also be heated in the crock pot if you have more time. Just let them simmer along until hot. This is about an hour on high or 2 hours on low.

Mac and Cheese Smokies

Ingredients:

This one is a real comfort dinner meal but can be served at a party. Keep it warm in a crock pot after cooking according to the directions.

• 1 macaroni and cheese dinner pack (7 ¼ oz. size)
• 1 pack of Lit’l Smokies (1 lb.)
• 1 standard size cream of mushroom soup (10 ¾ oz.)
• 1/3 cup of milk (whole milk)
• Toppings (parley flakes and cheddar cheese)

Directions:

Mix up the mac and cheese according to the package directions.

Mix the macaroni and cheese with the Smokies, Soup, and milk. Sprinkle parsley over the top of the mixture and put some cheddar cheese on top (if you are serving this for a family meal). If you are baking this and then putting it in the crock pot to keep it warm, then reserve the parsley and cheese and sprinkle that on right before guests begin serving the Smokies.

* Note – This is a tasty dish but not as pretty as some of the other Smokie party dishes.

More Little Smokies Recipes