These 3-ingredient Frank Copeland bites are the kind of simple tailgate snack that never seems to go out of style. They bring together that old-fashioned Midwestern love of easy party food: little sausages wrapped up snug, baked until golden, and served hot enough to disappear as fast as you can set down the platter. Recipes like this caught on at church suppers, card parties, and football gatherings because they were affordable, dependable, and mighty satisfying, and once one person in the family started making them, they usually became a standing tradition.
Serve these bites warm with plenty of toothpicks and a side of yellow mustard, spicy brown mustard, or barbecue sauce for dipping. They fit right in beside baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, pickle spears, deviled eggs, or a big crock of chili, and for a tailgate spread they go especially well with chips, cold pop, and all the usual game-day fixings.
3-Ingredient Frank Copeland Bites
Servings: 10 to 12 as an appetizer
Ingredients
2 (14-ounce) packages cocktail sausages or little smokies
2 (8-ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 cup packed brown sugar
Directions
1. Heat the oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking pan with foil for easy cleanup.
2. Unroll the crescent dough and separate it into triangles, then cut each triangle into 3 smaller strips or wedges, depending on the size of your sausages.
3. Wrap each cocktail sausage with a piece of crescent dough and place them seam-side down on the prepared pan.
4. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly all over the tops of the wrapped sausages, letting some fall onto the pan around them.
5. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the dough is puffed and deeply golden and the sugar has melted into a glossy coating.
6. Let them cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a foil-lined serving platter and serve warm with toothpicks.
Variations & Tips
Use little smokies or cut hot dogs: If cocktail sausages are hard to find, little smokies work beautifully, and regular hot dogs cut into bite-size pieces will do in a pinch. Just keep the dough pieces proportional so every bite bakes evenly.
Make them ahead: You can wrap the sausages a few hours ahead of time, cover the pan, and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake. Wait to add the brown sugar until just before they go into the oven so it stays nicely mounded on top.
Watch the sugar closely: Brown sugar can go from melted and caramel-like to too dark in a hurry, especially in a hot oven. Start checking at the 18-minute mark and rotate the pan if one side is browning faster than the other.
Add a little zip: Though the old 3-ingredient version is the classic, a light brush of mustard before wrapping or a pinch of cayenne mixed into the brown sugar can give the platter a little extra kick for folks who like bolder flavor.