Gourmet Hot Dog Toppings

Hot Dog! A Summer Classic Revisited!

No matter what you might say about hot dogs (or what you might think they are made of!), hot dogs are a delicious staple of summer cook outs and pretty hard to resist when roasting on a nearby grill! My favorite gal chef, Rachael Ray, recently conducted an extensive hot dog tasting survey and here are the results of the dogs “that cut the mustard!” (Couldn’t help myself!)

Best Overall - Bar-S Beef Franks ($2.99, local grocery stores)

Runner Up - Kunzier Beef Franks from Pennsylvania’s Amish Country ($4.99, kunzler.com)

Best Turkey - Oscar Mayer Turkey Franks ($1.99, local grocery stores)

Best Classic - Ball Park Franks ($2.39, local grocery stores)

Best Veggie - Morningstar Farms America’s Original Veggie Dogs ($3.99, local grocery stores)

Best Chicken - Applegate Farms Organic Uncured Chicken Hot dogs ($5.99, select stores)

Fun Toppings!

Now that you’re excited about the wide range of hot dogs, toppings are next in line! Of course there is ketchup, mustard and relish, but our American classic deserves better! At your next back yard gathering or birthday party, set up a hot dog buffet and wow your guests with gourmet fixings for the humble dog! Consider one or more of the following:

California - guacamole, sprouts and sunflower seeds
Chili - homemade chili, chopped red onions, shredded cheddar cheese and crushed Fritos
Mexican - salsa, nacho cheese sauce and broken tortilla chips
Italian - diced and sauteed potatoes, onions and red/green peppers
Greek - diced sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese and chopped pitted Kalamata olives
Fruity - sliced peaches, chopped scallions and fruit chutney
Capresse - a combination of diced fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and minced garlic, drizzeld with a dash of olive oil
Southwest - homemade corn relish and diced bacon (see Corn Relish Recipe)