Gourmet Hot Dogs

There are few things that scream "Fourth of July" more loudly than a hot dog. Except maybe fireworks. And the Declaration of Independence. But other than that, hot dogs are definitely like a solid #3.

I had a low-key Fourth of July this year since I'm going home to Massachusetts on the weekend to celebrate instead. Nonetheless, I found myself craving the comfort of a juicy dog to tide me over.

Now I love myself a gourmet hot dog, an "haute dog" if you will, but I was not going all the way to Crif Dogs to partake in some fancy weiner-eating. So I decided to get creative with some ingredients of my own. Let me tell you, not only did I make these dogs bark, but I made 'em sing. (Ok seriously, no more awkward hot dog puns for the rest of this post, I promise).

 The Fenway

The combo of chopped onions and spicy brown mustard always tastes like Fenway Park to me. I added a smear of Gulden's mustard to an all-beef hot dog and liberally topped with finely diced onion. Summer in a bun, essentially.

The Hidden Valley

I knew I wanted a cheesy dog, but I gave it some tang with some ranch dressing on the bun. This supports my theory that ranch goes great with pretty much everything. I finished it off with a very liberal amount of shredded mild cheddar. Optional: give it about 30 seconds in the microwave to get it nice and melty!

The Chile

This one was inspired by the completo, an oversized Chilean hot dog that features avocado mash, sauerkraut, tomatoes, and a generous amount of mayonnaise. I kept it a little more basic: chopped avocado with kosher salt, plus a slathering of mayo. Next time I go to Chile I'll have to have the real thing or three.

So next time you're thinking that you'll just have ketchup, get creative with the stuff in your fridge! Any favorite combos? Let me know so I can try them out!