Chips & Cheddar Hot Dogs
The benefits of apartment dwelling are many. We’ve managed to get our leasing office to fix everything from bathroom light bulbs to water filters in the freezer to warped baseboard in our storage room. We have the freedom to move when and where we choose (within the limits of an annual lease, of course) and there is not much gossip over fences about whose lawn is the most unsightly (though I expect when the time comes, mine may take that prize).
There are, however, many downsides as well. And on a week like this, leading up to the ceremonial end of summer, the fact I begrudge the most is that I am forbidden from using a grill on our little balcony. I get it, I do, we can’t have apartment buildings combusting every time a three-day summer weekend rolls around. Still, I’m cranky about it all the same.
But there are times when, despite the glaring lack of grill, I just want a damn good hot dog.
Now I typically don’t like much fuss for my hot dogs. A bun, a dog, and some ketchup will serve me just fine. But this fancy-pants one became my new favorite after a friend of mine in North Carolina practically forced it upon me when I confessed I’d never stopped by the hot dog cart outside our building. Though the cart is no longer a staple on Duke’s campus, the legacy lives on, and I pity the Duke students going forward who won’t benefit from the culinary stylings of Pauly Dogs.
Christened on the menu as the “Chips Plus”, this hot dog features smoky flavor from barbecue sauce and Old Bay seasoning, some cheese for good measure, and a delightfully salty crunch from some cheap potato chips. It’s a perfectly blended solution of delicious and ridiculous. And most importantly, you really don’t need a grill to make them awesome.
You don’t need much time either. While the hot dogs develop a light blister in a frying pan, grate some cheese and smear the barbecue sauce on the buns. For this indulgent dish, I prefer my hot dog buns cheap, soft, and full of white flour. Why mess with perfection?
I urge you to add these toppings to your Labor Day shopping list. You may not even need to buy much extra…this is a great way to use up those annoying crumblies at the bottom of a potato chip bag, which you likely will have at your festivities. Waste not!
Chips & Cheddar Hot Dogs
Adapted from Pauly Dogs, formerly a Duke University food cart
Makes 4 hot dogs (though you can obviously adjust the recipe up or down depending on your needs)
4 hot dogs
4 hot dog buns
1/3 c barbecue sauce
1/2 c finely shredded mild cheddar cheese
10-15 crinkle-cut potato chips
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
Cook hot dogs on a grill or, if you don’t have one, cook over medium heat in a medium frying pan, turning frequently until all sides are lightly blistered and hot dogs are cooked through.
While hot dogs are cooking, spread barbecue sauce evenly over the hog dog buns, reserving about a tablespoon. Place a cooked hot dog on each bun and spread a thin stripe of barbecue sauce on the top of each hot dog to keep the other ingredients in place. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over each hot dog. Crunch the chips into very small pieces, not crumbs, but about the size of the annoying end of a chip bag. Top each hot dog generously with the crunched chips. Finally, sprinkle about a quarter teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning over the chips on each hot dog.
Serve immediately.
