Hot dogs are informal and messy, which make them ideal for outdoor dining.
Picnics are not only about cold fried chicken or ham and cheese sandwiches. If you have access to a grill, hot dogs are another option. This ballpark staple is not just a wiener nestled in a bun. With a hot dog, the toppings make the difference, and you're not confined to the traditional mustard, ketchup and relish. Explore new ideas for hot dog toppings and build your picnic around the topping theme.
Pizza Dogs
Sliced mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce over a hot dog creates a pizza dog. Set up on a picnic table other pizza toppings, such as pepperoni, sliced bell peppers, sliced onions and mushrooms. Have the guests place a cooked hot dog in a bun and top it with their favorite pizza toppings. Then melt the cheese and toast the buns slightly by putting the stuffed hot dog in a loaf pan on the grill, with the grill lid closed, for two to three minutes. Serve your pizza hot dogs with sides that have a pizzeria twist. Try a cold pasta salad made with Italian dressing instead of mayonnaise, fruit salad, and a green salad with romaine lettuce and Parmesan cheese.
Tex-Mex Dogs
For a south-of-the-border twist, explore the cuisine of Texas for inspiration for a spicy hot dog. Cut a slit in the hot dogs along their length and stuff the cavity with pepper jack cheese. Hold the ends of the slit closed with toothpicks and grill the hot dogs until the meat is cooked and the cheese melts. Serve with salsa, guacamole, refried beans and corn tortillas for wrapping instead of buns. Bring tortilla chips and salsa for a side dish and fresh fruit for dessert. For a post-meal picnic activity, hang a pinata filled with candy from a tree and have the picnic guests try to break it with a baseball bat while blindfolded.
Yankee Dog
For a twist, serve a hot dog offered at Blue Light Kitchens in Provincetown, Massachusetts, as detailed in "The Great American Hot Dog Book." The restaurant calls it the Nor'easter, but you can call it dinner. Top a cooked hot dog with maple-flavored baked beans and bacon to re-create the classic. To make it more authentic, look for top-cut hot dog buns used in New England. Serve your New England inspiration as the restaurant does with sides of potato salad and coleslaw.
Ballpark Fare
Re-create the hot dogs served at ballparks for your picnic. Serve the hot dogs with bright yellow "ballpark" mustard, relish, chopped onions and ketchup. Explore other toppings by keeping an eye open the next time you go to a ballpark. See what the fields in your area serve and use that as inspiration. Regional differences allow for hundreds of genuine ballpark toppings, depending on where you live. Offer side dishes found at ballparks, inspired by the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Set out bowls of peanuts and bring Cracker Jacks or another caramel popcorn and peanut mixture. Serve beer and soda to accompany the hot dogs. To add to the authenticity, bring gloves, baseballs and bats and have a pickup game of baseball after everyone has finished eating.
Tags: , dogs with, grill dogs, pizza toppings, Serve your, with sides