Cherry Bourbon Pig Shots
Cherry Bourbon Pig Shots, an awesome bacon wrapped appetizer filled with a cherry bourbon mixture and cooked on the Traeger pellet grill!
Equipment
- Traeger/Pellet Grill
- Smoker
Ingredients
- 1 cup cherry preserves
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- kosher salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 8 ounce block cream cheese at room temp
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (optional) plus more to sprinkle over top
- 1 pound smoked sausage cut into slices
- 10 to 12 slices thick cut bacon cut in half
- 20 to 24 toothpicks
Instructions
- Put the cherry preserves in a small saucepan and add the bourbon, balsamic vinegar, kosher salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring a few times. Let cool.
- Wrap each piece of bacon around each sausage slice, attempting to make each look like a shot glass with the sausage as the bottom. Put a toothpick through where the bacon overlaps, through the bacon and into the sausage.Note: If a piece of bacon is too short to make it overlap around the sausage, stretch it or roll it slightly thinner.
- Put the cooled cherry bourbon mixture in a bowl along with the cream cheese and fresh thyme (if using). Use a hand mixer to blend together for a minute. Fill each pig shot with this mixture.
- Set your pellet grill to 350 degrees and place the pig shots on the grate for 45 minutes to 1 hour (keep an eye on them and remove when the bacon is done to your liking). Sprinkle fresh thyme over top if desired before serving.Note: These can also be baked in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour on a wire baking rack over a baking sheet.