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Hankering for a hot dog any way
Liberty Foodie
hot dogs

It’s getting cold outside and it’s usually the time of year where I tend to crave, soups, stews and chili. I mean nothing warms up your insides better than a bowl of piping hot chili covered with melted cheddar and a dollop of sour cream.

Am I right?

Or warming your hands as they grip a cup of savory chicken soup, which will also warm your heart.

Sounds like Heaven!

But the other day something entirely different beckoned me. I was watching a TV show that highlighted old television commercials. I got up and went to the kitchen to get some water. In the background I heard, ‘Oh I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Wiener...’

And just that quick I needed, no not needed, WANTED a hot dog.

“Man I haven’t had a hot dog in years,” I thought as I grabbed my wallet and keys and rushed out the door.

Within minutes I was back home, suddenly facing a new dilemma — toppings and buns.

“Let me see where my old bun steamer is,” I said to myself as I plunged my entire body into the cabinets of all things kitchen gadgetry. “There it is.”

“Okay Chicago style or classic chili cheese dog? OMG I have a deep fryer and can cook up a ripper too.”

Soon I was frantically dicing up onions, making relish, prepping bacon and a variety of other toppings. By the time I was done I probably had around a dozen hot dogs made.

I ate most for lunch and put the rest away for dinner. YES I ATE THEM ALL (but note that is was not all in one sitting. That’s an improvement, in my book).

I made a few bacon wrapped rippers. Those are hot dogs wrapped in bacon and tossed into the deep fryer. You let it cook until the hot dog casing literally rips open. I topped some with chili, some with just onions and some with both and cheese.

I made a few Chicago-style dogs.

The ones I saved for dinner were a special concoction I read in a cookbook years ago. I whip up some homemade mash potatoes. I like my mashies with sour cream, chives and cheddar and bacon bits in it. You take the hot dog and split it down the center but not all the way through. You stuff the dog with the mash potatoes, add a little bit of cheese and bacon on top and bake it in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.

It may sound weird but TOTALLY awesome!

Give it a try the next time you get a hot dog craving. Do you have a unique hot dog concoction? Send me an email and tell me about it: pleon@coastalcourier.com

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