National Hot Dog Day - Recipes & Reviews

I raise a glass and toast the Hot Dog with all it's toppings on National Hot Dog Day!

 You can't get much cheaper than a Hot Dog meal, even with all your favorite condiments. If you have some leftover Cavier, then dress it up for a Haute Dog.

 So let's begin with a recipe that is literally a hot mess, the L.A. Street Dog. The wiener is bacon-wrapped and topped with mayo, ketchup, mustard, and a grilled fajita mix of bell peppers, onions, and finally, a spicy jalapeno. Whew, that's a mouthful. Check out my version below. And click on any Restaurant or Recipe name to see the original blog post with all the yummy photos and tasty prose.

My latest Hot Dog recipe is a Baltimore Baloney Dog. This Great Depression era invention is a cheap$kate's dream, or nightmare if you are averse to processed meat.

The premier tube steak purveyor in town may be Fab's Hot Dogs. Chef-owner Joe Fabrocini has brought virtually all of America to the San Fernando Valley, offering a menu of beautifully crafted dogs from every region worth its mustard. The selection of hot dogs is head-swimming, but go ahead and dive into my video, where I show you a few favorites.



Summertime is Hot Dog Season, and nothing beats making your own. I always have mustard and pickle relish in the fridge, and tube steaks and hot dog buns in the freezer. I make 'em this way more than any other - sweet pickle relish, sour mustard, and a meaty weenie on a bun, so good, and below is my simple recipe for a Relish Dog.



Pink's, L.A.'s most popular hot dog stand (the place can't put up all its celebrity headshots of visiting movie, television, and rock stars), was started in 1939 with just a pushcart and has the longest lines of any wiener stand, and deservedly so. It has been filmed and reviewed by every media outlet in L.A., so I won't repeat it all here. 

However, I did notice one special hot dog that was not covered, and that is the "Dude," named after the conductor of the L.A. Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel (he is moving on to the NY Phil). It's the most extravagant of hot dogs - get an eyeful of it in my video below.



I like a Chili Dog anytime. Where does this cheap$kate, lazy Chef get his chili? From the can, of course! 

I do have a Homemade Chili recipe if you want to indulge. Just watch my Chili Dog recipe and make your own, the 99 Cent Chef way.



Let's Be Frank, serves up wieners with compassion. No factory farm beef, pork, or turkey is used in their franks. All the animals are 100% grass-fed and humanely raised locally in California. Hormones, antibiotics, nitrates, and nitrites are not added to the production of meat.

I often gild the lily, that is, I lay it on thick, like my next Hot Dog recipe, a Chili & Sauerkraut Dog. 

I find sauerkraut from the jar, and chili from a can is tasty enough -- no need to complicate things.

If chili and sauerkraut are not your cup of tea then leave out the heaviness of chili and go with a simply delicious Kraut Dog. I've left a jar of sauerkraut in the fridge for weeks at a time and it keeps on giving mouth-pukering, sour-flavored hot dogs.



Carney's dining train car once hosted the cheapest Hot Dog Happy Hour on L.A.'s notorious and famed Sunset Strip, serving a trifecta of beer, hot dog, and fries for $4.75! Alas, no more since COVID changed the price structure of most restaurants in L.A. But their Hot Dogs are just as delicious, Happy Hour or not. Below is a flashback video of dining at Carney's Happy Hour of Hot Dogs, Fries, and Beer...oh man, those were the days. 

Your Boys of Summer have to try my Ohtani Dog, made in honor of the Los Angeles Dodgers home run phenom, Shohei Ohtani. Mustard and pickle relish, check, plus dried seaweed? Hey, give it a shot - seaweed adds a salty kick. 

I use Seaweed Snacks that cost a buck per 10-sheet package, so the price is right. I found 10-inch Dodger Dog wieners on sale once, but you can use any favorite tube steak.

Come on down to Crenshaw Boulevard in South L.A. for soulful hot dogz served by Earlez Grill. These wieners are split and grilled on a flattop for max flavor. Check out my video below to hang with the boyz and girlz in the hood.



I like a Chili Dog with a sweet relish. Hot, meaty chili cut through with sweet relish is satisfying on so many levels. Just watch my Chili & Relish Dog recipe...be still my heartburn!



A culinary car crash of cultures, the Oki Dog is a true representative of diverse Los Angeles. Combining the all-American fast food standbys of hot dogs, chili, and American cheese with the Jewish deli classic pastrami, all wrapped in a Mexican blanket flour tortilla. I dare you to try and finish one. Well, if you want to see what I'm talking about, look no further than the video below.

Potato Salad on a Hot Dog? Don't knock it till you try it! My Homemade Potato Salad recipe follows the Potato Salad Dog video.

You don't have to go far these days to bring Coney Island to your town. 

I used to get a famous East Coast Nathan's Hot Dog from the frozen deli case of my local Dollar Tree, when I want an easy, microwavable, quickie lunch. They do the job and I even wrote a Cheap$kate Deal of the Day you can read here.

They come naked so I dress the dogs with just mustard and sweet pickle relish. What are your fave toppings?

Hot Dog with Potato Salad - Recipe

You can put almost anything on a Hot Dog, and I do, including Potato Salad!

Why stop at mustard when there is ketchup and mayonnaise in the fridge, too. An LA Street Dog has all three plus bacon, sauteed onion, bell pepper, and a fat jalapeno chile. I call it a Freeway Pileup Dog.

I like greasy chili on my wieners, and a pile of sour sauerkraut soaks it all up.

    

Is wrapping a slice of fried baloney around a Hot Dog too much?

It's all good, and my Homemade Potato Salad Recipe is so rich and sumptuous you'll want to cover your Hot Dog with it.

I've never tried the combination of Potato Salad on a Hot Dog until I had a summer patio party with plenty of leftover Potato Salad (too much grilled meat, I guess).

I add a little mustard, chopped onion, and pickle relish to my mayo-centric Potato Salad, so there is a bit of familiarity to typical Hot Dog condiments. 

Other Potato Salad ingredients are chopped celery and boiled egg with plenty of black pepper. Check out my Homemade Potato Salad Recipe in the video below.

I like to steam my wieners, but you can grill or fry them. I also steam the Hot Dog bun for a minute, but do watch carefully as the bun can get soggy really fast. (Because I often buy day-old buns, they can be dry, so a little steaming brings them back softly.)

To assemble, just top a cooked hot dog and bun with a pile of Potato Salad. Hmm, I wonder what a warm, meaty (or vegan) chili would add? I guess that's for the next Hot Dog recipe to find out?

Hot Dog with Potato Salad - Video             Play it here. The video runs for 4 minutes and 14 seconds. 

To view or embed from YouTube, click here.

Ingredients

• Hot Dog - Any type, like beef, pork, poultry, or vegan. There are cured and uncured, with no nitrates.
• Hot Dog Bun - I like to steam mine. Okay to grill or serve right from the bag.
• Potato Salad - About 2 heaping tablespoons per hot dog, or enough to top a hot dog.

Directions

Hot Dog  - I place a steamer basket in a pot with an inch or so of water. Add the wiener(s) and bring the water to a low simmer, then cover the pot. I like to steam mine until plump, about 5 minutes. If you are steaming a lot, then check the water level to refill as needed.

I also steam Hot Dog buns until pillowy and soft. I put a bun or two right on top of my steamed Hot Dogs, cover the pot, and steam the bun for a minute or so. A quick grill on the stovetop softens them quite nicely, too.

Assemble the Hot Dog, and top it with a couple of tablespoons of Potato Salad.

Click here to see my Homemade Potato Salad Recipe with all the tasty text and yummy photo illustrations.

National Hot Dog Day - Recipes & Reviews

 July 16th is National Hot Dog Day, and you can't get much cheaper than a Hot Dog meal.

 So let's begin with a recipe that is literally a hot mess, the L.A. Street Dog. The wiener is bacon-wrapped and topped with mayo, ketchup, mustard, and a grilled fajita mix of bell peppers, onions, and finally, a spicy jalapeno. Whew, that's a mouthful. Check out my version below. And click on any restaurant name or recipe name to see the original blog post with all the yummy photos and tasty prose.

My latest Hot Dog recipe is a Baltimore Baloney Dog. This Great Depression era invention is a cheap$kate's dream, or nightmare if you are averse to processed meat.

The premier tube steak purveyor in town may be Fab's Hot Dogs. Chef-owner Joe Fabrocini has brought virtually all of America to the San Fernando Valley, offering a menu of beautifully crafted dogs from every region worth its mustard. The selection of hot dogs is head-spinning, but go ahead and dive into my video, where I show you a few favorites.



Summertime is Hot Dog Season, and nothing beats making your own. I always have mustard and pickle relish in the fridge, and tube steaks and hot dog buns in the freezer. I make 'em this way more than any other - sweet pickle relish, sour mustard, and a meaty weenie on a bun, so good, and below is my simple recipe for a Relish Dog.



Pink's, L.A.'s most popular hot dog stand (the place can't put up all its celebrity headshots of visiting movie, television, and rock stars), was started in 1939 with just a pushcart and has the longest lines of any fast-food stand, and deservedly so. It has been filmed and reviewed by every media outlet in L.A., so I won't repeat it all here. 

However, I did notice one special hot dog that has not been covered, and that is the "Dude," named after the conductor of the L.A. Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel (he is moving on to the NY Phil). It's the most extravagant of hot dogs - get an eyeful of it in my video below.



I like a Chili Dog anytime. Where does this cheap$kate, lazy Chef get his chili? From the can, of course! 

I do have a Homemade Chili recipe if you want to indulge. Just watch my Chili Dog recipe and make your own, the 99 Cent Chef way.



Let's Be Frank, serves up wieners with compassion. No factory farm beef, pork, or turkey is used in their franks. All the animals are 100% grass-fed and humanely raised locally in California. Hormones, antibiotics, nitrates, and nitrites are not added to the production of meat.

I often gild the lily, that is, I lay it on thick, like my next Hot Dog recipe, a Chili & Sauerkraut Dog. 

I find sauerkraut from the jar, and chili from a can is tasty enough -- no need to complicate things.

If chili and sauerkraut are not your cup of tea then leave out the heaviness of chili and go with a simply delicious Kraut Dog. I've left a jar of sauerkraut in the fridge for weeks at a time and it keeps on giving mouth-pukering, sour-flavored hot dogs.



Carney's dining train car once hosted the cheapest Hot Dog Happy Hour on L.A.'s notorious and famed Sunset Strip, serving a trifecta of beer, hot dog, and fries for $4.75! Alas, no more since COVID changed the price structure of most restaurants in L.A. But their Hot Dogs are just as delicious, Happy Hour or not. Below is a flashback video of dining at Carney's Happy Hour of Hot Dogs, Fries, and Beer...oh man, those were the days. 

Your Boys of Summer have to try my Ohtani Dog, made in honor of the Los Angeles Dodgers home run phenom, Shohei Ohtani. Mustard and pickle relish, check, plus dried seaweed? Hey, give it a shot - seaweed adds a salty kick. 

I use Seaweed Snacks that cost a buck per 10-sheet package, so the price is right. I found 10-inch Dodger Dog wieners on sale once, but you can use any favorite tube steak.

Come on down to Crenshaw Boulevard in South L.A. for soulful hot dogz served by Earlez Grill. These wieners are split and grilled on a flattop for max flavor. Check out my video below to hang with the boyz and girlz in the hood.



I like a Chili Dog with a sweet relish. Hot, meaty chili cut through with sweet relish is satisfying on so many levels. Just watch my Chili & Relish Dog recipe...be still my heartburn!



A culinary car crash of cultures, the Oki Dog is a true representative of diverse Los Angeles. Combining the all-American fast food standbys of hot dogs, chili, and American cheese with the Jewish deli classic pastrami, all wrapped in a Latin street food Mexican blanket of a flour tortilla. I dare you to try and finish one. Well, if you want to see what I'm talking about, look no further than the video below.

Potato Salad on a Hot Dog? Don't knock it till you try it! My Homemade Potato Salad recipe follows the Potato Salad Dog video.

You don't have to go far these days to bring Coney Island to your town. 

I used to get a famous East Coast Nathan's Hot Dog from the frozen deli case of my local Dollar Tree, when I want an easy, microwavable, quickie lunch. They do the job and I even wrote a Cheap$kate Deal of the Day you can read here.

They come naked so I dress the dogs with just mustard and sweet pickle relish. What are your fave toppings?

Top 9 Recipes of 2024 - Video Recipes

As year-end recipe lists go, my Top 9 Recipes of 2024 is one you can really sink your incisors into. And all of my top picks are deliciously cheap to make. Just click on any recipe name to see the original 2024 blog post for tasty photos and my money-saving tips, and be sure to play any embedded videos below. The ranking order is random and not by delectability, so go ahead and dig in! 

1. Baltimore Baloney Hot Dog 

This recipe is too much of a good thing, that is, if you like Wieners and Baloney. They are grilled and then combined in a hot dog bun. Also called a Baltimore Dog serve this if you watch a Balimore Orioles baseball game. I haven't had baloney since I don't know when, so it seemed like a good idea at the time. I like mustard on my hot dogs. A Baltimore Baloney Hot Dog is worth a bite at least once in a lifetime.

2. Grilled Beets

When I get out the grill, I like to experiment with grilling veggies like corn, potatoes, carrots, and now Beets. Grilled Beets soften, and the flavor sweetens along with their naturally peppery bite. I slice mine thick enough to make a small Vegan Slider Sandwich. For a delicious change of pace, try grilling sliced Beets.

3. Matt's Crab Salad

My Cajun nephew Matt is back with a couple of seafood recipes. First up is his luscious Crab Salad. If you can make a Tuna Salad, then you can make this, that is, if you use pick and peeled expensive lump crab meat. My Louisiana family has local connections for whole crabs and crab clusters (boiled, cleaned, and ready to peel). Sweet and juicy crab meat is a splurge to this cheap$kate, but when I'm in Louisiana, I gotta go there. A budget substitute is Imitation Crab or Krab. I like Krab and have a delicious Mexican-style Ceviche that is made with Krab, and it is the bomb.

4. Matt's Shrimp & Corn Soup

My nephew Matt knows seafood as he has worked in restaurants, from fast-food to Country Clubs, most of his employed life. For his Shrimp & Corn Soup, he makes a seafood broth by roasting leftover shrimp and crab shells (the crab shells come from the above Crab Salad recipe). I give you easy substitutions like clam juice and/or broth. 

5. Turkey Gumbo

My version of Gumbo uses leftover Turkey from the holidays. You'd be surprised how much meat you can scrape off the backbone of a Roasted Turkey. You can use a Turkey Leg or Breast, too. The trick for a rich Turkey Gumbo is browning flour for about 20 minutes to reach a chocolate color of Roux. These days, you can buy a jar of browned Roux powder from the supermarket, so this recipe can be made in no time.

6. Roast Duck

Just a simple recipe for Roast Duck. Nothing to it, really, I just sprinkle on salt and pepper. I roast it like I would a chicken. 

7. Poached Egg 

How do you poach an Egg? Do you stir the water and then add an egg? How about adding vinegar to the boiling water? Try Googling it and see all the methods for keeping the whites from spreading out all over the place. Check out my recipe video and see how I Poach Eggs. I serve mine simply on toast. 

8. Swamp Chili

My nephew Matt was on a tear last year, and here's another recipe called Swamp Chili. He does add a can of Chili Beans, which is okay by me. My brother from another daddy, the Swamp Chef, makes an appearance, and my wife Linda gives her 2 cents at the end of the recipe video.

9. Pineapple Salsa

I'm a big fan of Salsas made with fruit, and I've made my share with Mango and Peach - you can add Pineapple Salsa. I'm not a big fan of canned fruit, but pineapple holds up quite well in a can. Reserve the Pineapple juice for a Cocktail mix or a breakfast drink. This Salsa has the typical chopped veggies of onion, tomato, and jalapeño, plus cilantro. It's sweet and spicy.

Here are some Honorable Mention Recipes of 2024, just click on the recipe name to check it out: Avocado Toast, Grilled Tomahawk Pork Chop, Hot Link Po Boy, Vegan Chorizo Egg Scramble, Giblet Gravy, Blueberry Bagel and Butter, Sauteed Seafood Mushrooms in Butter, BLT Sandwich, and a good old Meatball Submarine Sandwich.

It has been a fruitfully abundant year of recipes here at the Cheap$kate Chateau. I did the heavy lifting for you, so now all you have to do is pick a recipe link and save yourself some hard-earned cash by trying out any of the above. And if you have a favorite recipe of mine, then leave a comment to share.

And make sure to keep checking in here from time to time. I create yummy-looking blog posts with a dollop of humor, and while my tastes are cheap, my recipe flavors are top-shelf !!

Baltimore Bologna Hot Dog - Video Recipe

What do you get when you combine Baloney with a Hot Dog? You may not want to know.

Well, I'll spill the beans, you get a Baltimore Bologna Hot Dog. Locals call it a Baltimore Hot Dog. That's right, it's a regular Hot Dog wrapped in fried baloney with a smear of mustard, all tucked into a bun. 

The local paper, The Baltimore Sun, goes into greasy detail about the origins a click away here (quickly copy and paste the article before the paywall pops up). Basically, it was during the 1920s Depression that baloney started showing up with a hot dog in a bun to add extra calories and was popularized in the 1940's at a local deli run by Nathan Ballow. 

When you visit Baltimore get a Baltimore Bologna Dog at Attman's Delicatessen. There is a fun video visit when you click here. One notable difference between theirs and mine is they use three slices of baloney per hot dog. I use only one slice of baloney per hot dog. It could be that their hot dogs are longer or the baloney slices very thin? For my Baltimore Bologna Dog I cooked one grocery store bologna slice and one hot dog - it was a perfect balance.

        Baltimore Bologna Hot Dog

The main requirement for the recipe is that the baloney (or bologna) and hot dog are fried together so the greasy meaty flavors mix. I usually steam my hot dogs, but for a Baltimore Baloney Hot Dog you gotta go with the fried version. 

I do find that nowadays baloney and hot dogs are much leaner, so I used a teaspoon of oil to prevent the baloney and hot dog from sticking to the frying pan.

One note on frying baloney. Sometimes a slice of baloney will bubble up during frying. I will make a half-inch slice into the middle and press the slice to contact with the hot pan and get an even surface grilling.

Rotate the hot dog while grilling. Both hot dog and baloney are precooked so all you are doing is heating them both up and adding a little char or browning.

I like to steam my Hot Dog Buns, but you can grill or serve them right out of the bag. Click here Click here to see how I steam Hot Dog Buns.

Thank god that baloney, hot dogs, and buns are still cheap. I find them at my local Dollar Tree for just over a buck apiece. Use any favorites you have locally.

I still get mustard, ketchup, and sweet pickle relish for the same prices. 

The combination of Bologna and a Hot Dog is a killer combination, literally. You don't want to eat these too often, but as a tasty gimmick, it works. 

The flavors complement each other as they are similar. Some meat purveyors call baloney a large sliced hot dog. I find that baloney has more seasoning flavors, especially if you compare hot dogs made with mild pork and poultry.

I made my Baltimore Balogna Dog topped with mustard, but I would add sweet pickle relish or even sauerkraut next time. And believe me, there will be a next time! 

Baltimore Bologna Hot Dog - VIDEO      Play it here. Video runs 1 minute, 54 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here. just click here. 

Ingredients

• Hot Dog - any type like beef, pork, poultry, or vegan.
• Baloney - any favorite type, thick or thin-sliced.
• Hot Dog Bun - I like to steam mine. Okay to grill or serve right from the bag.
• Mustard - okay to add any favorite Hot Dog toppings.
• Vegetable Oil - 1 teaspoon. Leaner hot dogs and baloney may need some oil to keep them from sticking to a frying pan.

Directions

Nothing to this recipe. A Baltimore Bologna Dog has fried baloney and a fried hot dog.

Add a little oil to a frying pan or grill. You can fry the hot dog whole or slice it down the middle. 

Baloney may fry quicker than a hot dog, so it's okay to start the hot dog first for a minute then fry the baloney.

Don't fry the baloney too long, only a minute or two, or it will dry out. You want a slight browning on at least one side. (No need to brown both sides, just present Baltimore Bologna Dog with the browned side showing.)

I make a small slice or two in the middle of the baloney. It may bubble up so a small slice will let the air out from under the baloney. Press down in the middle to get even browning. I like to slice in the middle, not on the outer edge, so the baloney stays perfectly round.

When the baloney and hot dog are lightly browned add them to a hot dog bun. 

I like mustard on my Baltimore Bologna Dog, and you can add any other condiments you like including chopped onion, chili, sauerkraut, cheese, and pickle relish.