In the Kitchen with Gram...Hot Diggity Dog!

When Gram and I decided to do a variety of hot dogs for this week's post, little did either of us know that we'd be cooking up a gobsmack of hot dogs on "National Hot Dog Day"!


Yup, it's true.


Our country has a wiener day. (Bwahahahahahaha!!! I can't help but giggle like an immature child when I hear "wiener". Sorry. It's a character flaw.)


So, here's what we cooked up:


1. Mustard Crescent Dogs
2. Relish Dogs
3. Fried Onion Dogs
4. Bacon Cheese Dogs


Imagine the oodles of "Dogs" you could come up with...these are just some of Gram's favorites! Most of these don't really even "need" a recipe, but I included them...just in case!


First up, the ol' Mustard Crescent Dogs. Easy. Peasy Pie.

Unroll yourself some crescent rolls and squirt them with some mustard...

Next up, roll up your dogs starting with the wide end of the roll:

Then you bake them according to the crescent roll package directions. And that's it.


Next...my favorites. Gram's "Relish Dog".

Add your ketchup, onion, relish, vinegar and sugar:

To a pan into which you'll add your "scored" wieners. (Hahahahahahahahaha!!!) See those cuts in the hot dogs above? That's how you want to score your dogs, we just forgot to take a picture of that part.

Let them simmer and while their heating up, those "scores" in your dog will open up and absorb some of that delicious sauce. Serve them on a bun with the relish sauce and thank me later. 


Third, is the Fried Onion Dogs.

Caramelize a large, diced onion.

Then, just add your dogs right on top of the onion.

Stir it around a bit, and let the dogs fry, getting some nice color on them. Don't be like us and let your onions get too dark.

Then add them to a bun with your favorite toppings (don't forget those yummy onions in there!) and enjoy!


And finally, the "Crowd Favorite"...Bacon Cheese Dogs!

Slice your hot dog lengthwise, about half way through the depth of the hot dog.

Then stuff that hot dog with Velveeta...I know, highly processed, but hey, we're talking about HOT DOGS here. Processed + Processed = Delightful. Or something.

Then, wrap some bacon around it. Gram swears by the "pre-cooked" stuff...hey, what's a little more processed food at this point, right?! If you put "real" bacon on raw, the bottom doesn't get cooked well, which ends up with you needing to fry bacon if you want to use the "real" stuff.


So, if real bacon floats your boat, go right ahead and use it. Just fry it up first. (Confession: Real bacon kinda floats my boat. Since you asked.)

It helps to put toothpicks in the through the ends of the bacon to help hold it on when it cooks...just, um, you know, make sure you remove them before you eat.


In case that wasn't obvious.


The action shot...Pal...my picky, picky, PICKY eater who was OVER THE MOON about the Bacon Cheese Dogs.

And there you have it, my friends...our (accidental) celebration and participation in National Hot Dog Day!

Gram's Mustard Crescent Dogs
Printable Recipe


10 hot dogs
2 "tubes" of refrigerator crescent rolls
Mustard to taste


Unroll crescent rolls and squirt desired amount of mustard on each roll. Wrap hot dog in crescent roll, starting with widest side. Bake according to crescent roll package instructions, adding just a couple of minutes onto bake time. Serve as is, or with your favorite hot dog condiments!


Gram's Relish Dog
Printable Recipe


1 cup ketchup
1 small onion, finely diced
1/4 cup sweet relish
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
10 hot dogs, scored several times on each side


Combine first 5 ingredients in pan, stir together, then add hot dogs. Simmer in relish sauce until scores open, and hot dogs are heated thoroughly. Serve on a bun with relish sauce on top.


Gram's Fried Onion Dogs
Printable Recipe


10 hot dogs
1 large onion, diced
3 T butter


Caramelize onion in butter, add hot dogs and continue to fry until hot dogs have some brown on them and are heated through. Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings.


Gram's Bacon Cheese Dogs
Printable Recipe


10 hot dogs, sliced lengthwise, about 1/2 depth of hot dog
Velveeta cheese
10 slices of bacon
Toothpicks to secure bacon


Stuff hot dogs with Velveeta cheese, wrap one slice of bacon around hot dog and secure ends with tooth pick. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bacon is thoroughly cooked. Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings.


And there you have it! Enjoy!