National Hot Dog Day

The All American Dog

Today is National Hot Dog Day, so I decided to throw out a rerun!  It is a newer blog, but so timely.  And I can't lie, I have been hankering those spiral cut dogs!  So get in there and celebrate! Don't forget the mustard...

So I pondered this blog for awhile.  I mean really, hot dogs?  But in my little memory bank, hotdogs are as much a part of summer as swimming pools and fire flies.  We ate hotdogs at the lake.  I remember them grilled and my favorite way, boiled.  My Grandma had a red and white enameled saucepan, and I loved a boiled hotdog in that pan.






 Lunch was the only way my mom and her sisters could get all of us kids out of the lake for an hour or so. Lunch would usually lead to card games, a book in a hammock, a hike to the spring.  But never, ever, television.  I don't think it even worked.  So I had seen a few hot dog pics on Pinterest, and I was kind of in the mood.  As an adult, this forbidden food has been reserved for ball games.  However, in Memphis, we always pass over the ball park dog for BBQ Nachos.  Fodder for another blog, I promise.

So after much debate, we decided to make them 4 ways. Spiral and grilled,  stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon, in a blanket and boiled with spagetti hair.  First spiral and grilled.

It took a little practice, but this is pretty cool.

There is a Chow video on You Tube found here.  Let me just say he makes it look easier than it is, but with a little practice, we got there.  We loved these spiral cut dogs.  Lots of char all over them and they stretch to fill the bun.  However, because they are not a solid chunk of meat (?!), if you put too many condiments, you can't really find the dog.  I will be cutting spiral dogs any time the opportunity arises for grilled hot dogs.  This is cool and delicious.

Delicious char everywhere!

Tastiest with little adornment.

The hot dogs of my childhood, but only if Pasquale was out of town!

Next was the cheese and bacon dogs.  When I was little and my dad was out of town, this is what we got for dinner.  My dad would not have hot dogs for dinner.  Period.  My mom would slice a long slit in the dog, fold over some American cheese and stick it in the dog and then wrap it in bacon, secured with a toothpick.  We didn't even bother with a bun, we loved these! Now I buy this thicker sliced bacon, and I admit it would be better made with a thinner sliced bacon, as it would have cooked crispier.  But we dove in.  A note here.  I preheated the oven to 400F with the cookie sheet in the oven.  This is an important step.  Then put the hot dogs and bacon onto the hot sheet.  Much more efficient cooking!

Yes, everything is better with bacon.

Not a fan of rolls in a tube.

Next was the Pigs In A Blanket.  I rolled them in the crescent rolls, and baked them.  They were okay.  I mean we ate them...but they were not our favorite.  I think if we doctored up the blanket with some spices, seeds, cheese...it might be better.

Not our favorite.

And lastly, was the shaggy haired hot dog.  We found this on Pinterest.  The original source is not obtainable, so you'll have to find them on my board called Play With Your Food.  Basically they are hot dogs with raw spagetti stuck in the ends.  After they are boiled you have these shaggy haired dogs.  The only pasta I buy is Bucatini and Orzo.  So Bucatini it was.  A little too thick, and they broke off pretty easily.  Next time we'll use angel hair and cut the dogs in 3 pieces and poke the pasta in both ends.  Hilarious.  I really did this in my kitchen.  My family wanted to send me to therapy!  So, what are you waiting for.  Life's too short.  Have a hot dog!

Epic fail.  We will buy real spagetti and try again!