Bacon-wrapped hot dog was a hit for Timber Rattlers, and it’s easy to make
A No Budget Cooking Series pledge has been to review simple recipes that don’t induce Pinterest fails. This recipe for a bacon-wrapped hot dog topped by crispy onions, barbecue sauce and nacho cheese breaks that promise — but not without a few good reasons.
First, even though it’s messy, it is dang tasty. (You did see bacon and nacho cheese are involved, right?)
Second, it’s my lead-in to telling you that you could garner a moderate amount of fame and win four tickets to a Wisconsin Timber Rattlers game through the team’s annual Fans’ Choice Food Fight contest.
Before getting into the contest details, let’s take a swing at this 2017 Timber Rattlers Food Fight champ.
Insights
Minimal dishes, short and simple ingredient list and common kitchen equipment make this look like an easy recipe. Wrapping the hot dog in bacon and keeping fried onion pieces from falling off requires some concentration and might be frustrating if rushed — which may make it NSFW (Not Safe For Worknight).
That’s not a bad thing. A hot dog wrapped in bacon and topped with nacho cheese shouldn’t be a regular in a menu lineup. The Dinger Dog is best used as a pinch hitter for special occasions when you have time to fiddle with the presentation. Like, say, opening day of the baseball season.
I tried two methods for wrapping the hot dogs in bacon. One was to cook the bacon until done but not crisp, then pan-fry the hot dogs as the bacon cooled and wrap each cooked hot dog before assembling. I struggled to wrap the bacon evenly around the hot dogs.
I liked wrapping the hot dogs in bacon then baking in the oven (as stated in the instructions). If following this method, go big on the dogs but not the bacon. I used Cher-Make’s Big W Dog, which weighs in at nearly 3 ounces. Bigger hot dogs fill out pretzel buns better and are less likely to split before the bacon fully cooks. I used regular-cut bacon and still had plenty of smoky pork flavor in each bite.
The toasted bun is a nice touch, but not necessary. If you want to skip this step to save on cleaning extra dishes, nobody’s going to complain.
Order matters when building these dogs. Cover the hot dog in nacho cheese, then top with onions and barbecue sauce. Without the cheese to hold them in place, the fried onion bits scatter and create more mess than necessary.
Oh, this is a multiple napkin food no matter how you stack it. It’s worth it, just be prepared.
Timber Rattlers Fans’ Choice Food Fight
What: Submit an idea for a new food to be served at Fox Cities Stadium during Wisconsin Timber Rattlers home games this season. The winning food will be on the Fox Club menu and a concession stand.
What’s in it for me: The winner gets four voucher tickets to use at a 2021 home game and four vouchers for the food item.
When: Submissions will be taken through March 26.
Where: Visit the Timber Rattlers’ website or Facebook page for a link to the online entry form.
How it works: Five finalists selected by the Timber Rattlers culinary team will be announced April 2. Online voting through April 11 decides the winning food. The winner will be announced on April 12 during a live stream on USA Today Network-Wisconsin websites and Facebook pages.
ASK ME CULINARY QUESTIONS OR TEACH ME YOUR RECIPES: Please keep sending your questions, feedback and recipes you’d like reviewed. I’m always happy to consider a favorite family recipe for the No Budget Cooking Series.
ABOUT THIS SERIES: I test recipes found on food packages in my very average kitchen with my moderately above average cooking talent. Contact me at dphiggin@gannett.com. Follow @HigginsEats on Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook.