Bacon Wrapped Smokies

[Jessica]

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

1 pound sliced bacon, cut into thirds
1 (14 oz.) package beef cocktail wieners (I used beef smokies smoked sausages)
3/4 cup brown sugar or to taste

Preheat oven to 325°.  Wrap each cocktail wiener with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick (I didn't use toothpicks and they stayed together just fine).  Place on a large foil covered baking sheet.  Sprinkle brown sugar generously over all.  Bake for 40 minutes, until the sugar is bubbly.  To serve, place in a slow cooker and keep on the low setting.

*I let these cook for a little over an hour in the oven because the bacon wasn't done after 40 minutes.  Also, I wouldn't use thick cut bacon.  I put them in the crock pot when done and sprinkled a little more brown sugar on them.  They got crispier in the crock pot and were better than when they first came out of the oven.

[bayou girl]

thank you!

[Jessica]

You're welcome!

[Tina]

Mmmmmmm. Wish I'd seen this before I went out shopping today. It may be several days before I can get some smokies and thin bacon.

[Jessica]

Bummer, Tina.  Is the weather bad and keeping you from going out?  Hopefully you can get bacon and smokies soon. 

[Tina]

no the weather is not bad right now. It is supposed to be for the next couple of days though. I will wait.

[Tina]

I wonder if these can be fixed ahead and then frozen for later reheating?

[Jessica]

I'm not sure.  Thanksgiving was the first time I had made them.  Maybe next time I will try freezing part of them and see how they turn out reheated.  I doubled the recipe for Thanksgiving because it was for a big group but I wouldn't normall do that for just us.  But, I would do that if they could be frozen and reheated.

[Penny]

Yummy, thanks Jess.

[Jessica]

You're welcome.

[Tina]

I am making these tonight, a lot of these, 140. I PMed Jess to ask if the grease tends to fill the pan as mine have only a one inch lip on them. She said it didn't seem to be a problem but I just tucked them in the oven and will watch for possible overflow. I am doing a lot of them.
And then I asked how close together and she said they can touch. Good, that meant I could fit them on two pans and cook all at once not batches. And it meant sprinkling (piling) all that brown sugar on them a little easier.
She also said if eating them straight from the oven it may be a good idea to turn them in the middle of the cooking process to crisp up the bottoms.
I will let everyone know how this worked for crowd cooking.

[Tina]

Halfway through a one hour planned cook time. I didn't turn them but I did rearrange the pans in my unevenly heating oven. The grease looks manageable so far and the brown sugar is disappearing in there.

[sunsoaker]

I plan on making these for our "snack day". There are only five of us in the office. Should I double the recipe or do you think one batch will be enough?

[Jessica]

I used 2 packages of smokies and 2 lbs. of bacon when I made mine.  I honestly don't even know how many that made but it was one large jelly roll pan full.  Can't wait to hear how these turn out for you, Tina!

[Jessica]

Barb, these are addicting.  I would probably double it but that is completely up to you.  I doubled it for Thanksgiving and they were gone.  Yes, there were definitely more than 5 people there, but there was tons of food too.  They would be good as leftovers if you have any.

[Tina]

I am doing two large jelly roll pans. I did pour off most of the grease a while ago because I wanted them to crisp up some more. And  I turned it up to 350 for the last 10 minutes or so. But these could be issues with my oven more than anything else.

[Jessica]

Mine had to cook longer too, Tina.  I didn't think they were anywhere near done after 40 minutes.  I cooked mine for close to an hour and 15 minutes I think.

[Tina]

Yes, an hour and 15 is what I did. I now have 138. i had to eat the two that unwrapped themselves, right?
I will transfer them to my crock  in a little while and add more sugar. Then reheat them tomorrow in time for the 6pm potluck.

[Jessica]

Of course you had to.

[sunsoaker]

Do many of them come unwrapped? Maybe I'll go ahead and pin them with the toothpicks.

[Jessica]

I only had a couple that came unwrapped.  I put them seam side down and didn't have troubles.  I'm sure Tina will chime in here and tell us how it worked out for her.

[Tina]

I think 4 out of 140 unwrapped, Barb.
Next time I won't chicken out and pour off the grease. It really didn't help with the crisping much. And it altered the way the sugar cooked. And that thick syrup from the sugar was what stuck and unwrapped the ones that did. They are done, and in the crock in the fridge with more sugar sprinkled on top. I will pop them on the base in plenty of time to heat up and re-crisp (a la Jessica).
Thank you Jess.
I made 3 pounds of smokies using about 3 pounds of bacon. So a triple recipe basically.

[sunsoaker]

Thank you ladies. That helped a bunch

[Tina]

Oh and I have longer toothpicks with those ruffly things on them to poke into some in the pot and leave the rest on the side for use to get them out.

[Jessica]

You're welcome, Tina.