Not So Ordinary Hot Dogs

There are not many people that I know of that do not have a package of hot dog franks in their refrigerator. Here are a couple of ways to jazz up a boring hot dog or use up left over hot dogs.

Day 1- Hot Dog Melts

Ingredients
Hot Dogs, slit lengthwise
Bacon slices (as many as the number of hot dogs you are using)
Hot Dog buns (as many as the number of hot dogs you are using)
Cheddar cheese slices
1/4 c. mayo
2 TBS sour cream
1 TBS Hot sauce
1 TBS Dijon mustard
1/2 Tbs Honey
Salt and Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, hot sauce, honey and mustard. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill in refrigerator. Place a slice of cheese in each slit of the hot dog. Tear the slices to fit. Wrap each hot dog with a slice of bacon securing with toothpicks. Place on a line baking sheet and cook for about 10-12 minutes until bacon is crisp. Place the hot dog in a bun and smear with mayo sauce.


Day 2- Hot Dog Tenders

The pancake mix makes these "tenders" fluffy like a corn dog. If you don't have Parmesan cheese on hand, its ok. You can omit it and it will still taste good. Instead, add 1 tsp of salt instead of the 1/2 as stated below.  You can use this recipe to make easy chicken tenders or even sausage for breakfast.

Ingredients
2/3 pancake mix
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 egg beaten
3 Tbs butter or margerine - melted

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. In a large Ziploc bag, place pancake mix, cheese, garlic, salt and paprika. Seal and mix well. Cut hot dogs in half length wise. Dip hot dog into egg and then into dry mix. Place hot dogs on baking sheet. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake 10- 12 minutes turning half way through. Since hot dogs are already cooked, you are only looking to bake until the crust is browned. If you are making chicken tenders, you will want to cook them for 14-16 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle.