Fourth of July Hot Dog Variations
Ingredients
- 15-18 hot dogs (for flag variation)
- blue corn tortilla chips (for flag variation)
- cheddar cheese (for flag variation)
- hot dogs (for spiral and pastry-wrapped variations, quantity as needed)
- crescent dough (for pastry-wrapped variation)
- olive oil (for pastry-wrapped variation)
- 1 lb rotini pasta (for Chicago dog salad)
- 8 hot dogs (for Chicago dog salad)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced (for Chicago dog salad)
- 1.5 cups Persian cucumber, sliced (for Chicago dog salad)
- 0.5 large white onion, finely chopped (for Chicago dog salad)
- 0.5 cup pickle relish (for Chicago dog salad)
- 0.25 cup sports peppers, chopped or pepperoncinis (for Chicago dog salad)
Dressing
- 0.5 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 heaping tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon juice from peppers
Preparation
For the flag variation, cut cheddar cheese into star shapes using a small cookie cutter.
Arrange hot dogs, blue corn tortilla chips, and cheese stars on a platter to resemble an American flag.
For spiral hot dogs, insert skewers straight through the center of each hot dog.
Place skewered hot dog on a cutting board and use a sharp paring knife at an angle to cut a spiral from tip to base, keeping cuts close to the skewer.
For pastry-wrapped dogs, skewer and spiral-cut hot dogs as described.
Unroll crescent dough and cut into 1/8 inch strips, then wrap strips in between the spiral cuts.
Spray or brush wrapped hot dogs with olive oil and bake at 375°F for 12-15 minutes until dough is golden brown.
For Chicago dog salad, grill or brown 8 hot dogs in a pan, then slice or chop them.
Cook 1 lb rotini pasta according to package instructions, drain, and cool.
Prepare vegetables by slicing cherry tomatoes and Persian cucumber, and finely chopping white onion and sports peppers or pepperoncinis.
Whisk dressing ingredients together until well combined.
Toss pasta, hot dogs, vegetables, and relish with the dressing until evenly coated.
Tips
Spiraling hot dogs increases surface area for better charring and helps condiments stay in place during eating.
For the flag variation, adjust the number of hot dogs based on platter size for the best presentation.
