When the temperatures start to drop and northern Wisconsin first sees snowfall, a highlight for a lot of people is a warm, home-cooked meal.

With warm food on the brain and multiple holidays around the corner, the best option for college students is to conduct potlucks. As defined by Merriam-Webster, a potluck is a communal meal where the attendees all bring something to share.

This activity is an option for people to create a full feast while only having to physically make one item. This type of event brings a group of people together to have a warm cooked meal while only putting in a small segment of work.

The big question is, what is the best food to make? Oftentimes, the meal is planned out with different individuals claiming different sections of the meal. There can be appetizers, main courses, sides, drinks and desserts, to name a few options.

I would like to offer an easy appetizer option that has been a hit at every potluck and friendsgiving that I’ve attended.

This recipe is for bacon-wrapped weenies. Often confused with the pigs in a blanket, this appetizer is a meat-lovers fantasy that’s simple and an easy finger food to start a potluck.

To make this appetizer, you will need a package of cocktail weenies (or a package of hotdogs cut an inch in length), a pound of thick-cut bacon, a package of toothpicks and a bag of brown sugar.

To start, preheat the oven to 325 F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Then take the bacon and cut it into halves or thirds, don’t cut it all so you can practice and find the right length. They do not need to be perfect so over time you’ll learn the right size. 

Take your cocktail weenie or chopped hot dog and wrap the bacon around so the ends of the bacon overlap half an inch. This is where you’ll learn the right length of the bacon. Stick a toothpick in the overlapped section and place it on the baking sheet.

Repeat this process for every cocktail weenie until you either run out of bacon or weenies. Once they are all placed, sprinkle a heavy amount of brown sugar on the weenies. Don’t be afraid to cover them, most of the excess will melt off when in the oven.

Place the weenies inside the oven and back for an hour. Check every 20 minutes and watch for the bacon to get crispy and the sugar to bubble slightly.

Take the weenies out of the oven. If serving right after, place in a slow cooker or airtight container to keep the heat in. If serving later, the weenies can be reheated on-site to serve.

These bacon-wrapped weenies are a crowd favorite, able to be picked up by the toothpicks for quick grabs or a few at a time to put on a plate with other appetizers and veggies. 

Next time you have a potluck where you aren’t sure what to bring, feel free to follow this recipe for an easy and delicious appetizer that is always devoured.

Fisher can be reached at [email protected].