When you think fall, the word "hot dog" doesn't always come to mind. But really, it's one of our favorite fall party treats. They can be dressed up, down, and prepared in advance. Can you tell what's on the dog above? Take a guess and then share your favorite topping and see what add-ons you've been missing!
Since most of us still have our grills out and are putting them to work through the Fall and Winter months, hot dogs can be a great way to get a big bang for your buck when it comes to entertaining. We caught a quick lunch at a local eatery in downtown Kansas City and we were quickly reminded why we love this versatile food so much.
The dog above is served on a pretzel bun, topped with lump crab meat, asparagus and hollandaise sauce. It was most spectacular and can easily be recreated in your home kitchen. Try taking your favorite meal and break it apart into ingredients and add it to your dog. Throw on some Mac and Cheese along with crumbled bacon. How about chili, avocado and a few salty chips? What's your ideal dog look like? Let us know in the comments below!
Try making the dog above from the links below:
• Pretzel Rolls
• How To Blanch Asparagus
• How to Make Hollandaise Sauce
(Image: Spencer Schaub)

Comments (42)
looks like fresh crab meat, asparagus, and hollandaise.
me -- I like spicy mustard, onions, and sauerkraut. mmmm!
I was going to say artichoke heart, asparagus and hollandaise.... but on closer inspection, frosting girl might be right, it might be crab meat. Or tuna?
I was going to guess either hollandaise or Welsh rarebit sauce.
Me, I prefer my dogs simple: deli mustard and relish only please.
I like a Hebrew National with mayo and arguya on a grill-toasted wheat bun.
Just ketchup for me
It's a tie between Chili (Texas Pete!) & mustard, or Russian dressing, sauerkraut & prov cheese. Rubin dog!
I like to spread pimento cheese on the bottom of the roll and place the hot dog on top of it. I then top the dog with spicy (deli) mustard, pickled red onions, and Pik-Nik potato sticks for crunch.
veggie chili on a tofu pup w/mustard, onions, jalapeño, on pumpernickel roll with a beer
Mustard, chopped Vidalia onions, sriracha sauce, dill pickle relish.
It sounds so boring next to all your fancy-shmancy toppings, but I like to keep it simple: mustard and dill pickle. And a Diet Dr Pepper. Oh my happiness.
Spicy mustard and kraut. I'm an easy man to please.
The hot dog pictured above, I wouldn't eat on a dare.
Anything crunchy or pickled, preferably both.
i like mine with chili and cheese and onions! or a big bratwurst with saurkraut and spicy brown mustard.
Rhode Island's own Olneyville NY System brown stuff. Meaty, salty, tangy sauce on a weiner (NOT a hot dog)-- yellow mustard, chopped white onion, celery salt.
Heart attack waiting to happen-- delish wait.
My favorite dog is hands down, the Chicago style dog - dill pickle, tomatoes, neon green relish, yellow mustard, diced onions and celery salt. Some people also put hot peppers but I am building up to that. So yummy!!!!!
Guacamole, salsa, and tortilla strips on tofu pop. Yum yum yum yum yum.
Mine is the good old Chicago-style dog...no relish, but everything is great.
Second fav? Texas chili.
I like them with cheese, bacon, onion, tomato, mustard, mayo, ketchup and a jalapeño...
Yellow mustard.
Seconding Learp's love of a Chicago dog (although I do put the sport peppers on).
I'm a New Yorker who discovered the Chicago dog when I first visited in 2007, and I think I went an entire 36 hours at one point where I ate nothing but Chicago dogs from various streetcorner vendors.
Wasabi? or Doritos :-) Local Hot Dog place:
http://www.tubbydog.com/Tubby%20Dog/Menu.html
Once had a crazy one there for some special event that had oysters and wasabi on it. It was awesome.
I’m a fan of mustard and (cold) sauerkraut. As for my boyfriend, he loves them with Thousand Island.
That is an Oscar Mayer Oscar!
I grew up in Chicago eating big beefy Chi-Style dogs, but since moving to Seattle, I've become a total convert to their way of eating them: with grilled onion and CREAM CHEESE. I know how it sounds - I was VERY skeptical at first - but it is SO DARN GOOD. Worth a try.
Crab meat on a HOT DOG??? Am I the only one who thinks that is weird/gross?
I like plain ketchup on a snappy casing dog. But sauerkraut is good on sausages.
I could totally see mac 'n' cheese on a hot dog - just like the hot dog coins mom used to put in the mac 'n' cheese!
I think a hot dog on a garlic bread bun would also be delicious. With marinara. And onions. And maybe some cheese. *nom*
I can't believe you haven't showcased sausage and peppers yet. That's my boyfriend's favorite - grilled italian sausage with sauteed onions with red/green/yellow peppers. It's pretty good if you cook the sausage correctly. :)
Sauerkraut, mustard, ketchup, occasional relish or onions... classic NY style dirty water dogs. Otherwise cut up in Kraft dinner with baked beans... so good, so artery clogging.
I'm usually not a huuuuge fan of hot dogs, but I'm living in the UK right now and I've never crazed anything more. "Frankfurters" in the grocery stores here are simply NOT the same. They induce my gag reflex.
Barbecue sauce, bacon, grilled onions, and cheddar cheese. Perfect combination.
Brown Mustard.
a local restaurant in our area- joe's farm grill- does a Hot Dog Days of Summer special in September. they have 10 kinds of crazy hot dogs. here's a link to the options: http://joesfarmgrill.com/news/hot-dog-days-of-summer/ i love the Asian and Swedish the most!
That thing also looks like it is served in a sweet potato instead of a bun! Yummo
Either Sauerkraut & mustard
or
I guess it is kind of like Chicago style?? My mom used to always make them with mayo, mustard, onion, cucumber or dill pickle & tomato... so good!!
Chicago style is the only way to eat a dog.
Though if you're eating a tofu or other kind of veggie dog, you get a special exemption for ketchup.
That combo over a hot dog made me gag a little.
Mustard and pickled jalapenos on a white bun, please. Mmm mmm.
On a regular hot dog? Ketchup, mustard, mayo (and sometimes cheez whiz/cheeze sauce and onions, if available). When it's some "fancy" sausage in a bun, i love sauerkraut and a little dijon mustard.
I'm a chili, cheese, and onion girl.
When I first started elementary school I went to a small rural school where gray-haired ladies in hair nets made wonderful food. They used to make pigs-in-a-blanket, of course using homemade dough. I never have been able to replicate those, but perhaps it's just the memory that I can't recreate.
Looks like lump crab meat, asparagus, and Hollandaise sauce to me...... Not sure why anyone would want to put the this delicate meat on a hot dog, but each his own. I love a philly style hot dog- potato, green and red bell peppers, onion and garlic (basic hashbrown combo) pan fried and a splash of ketchup to top it off.
Sorry, I meant Italian hot dog, not philly style.
Yellow Mustard.
While I'm a Seattleite, I personally shy away from the cream cheese on hot dog thing that is huge here... I stick to the yellow mustard and plain old ketchup. On a good bun with the cornmeal on top. Preferably a Costco or similar Polish... yum!
Has to be .. without fail the Chilean style Completo.
Avocado, Tomato/Cilantro/Onion Salsa, topped wtih Mayo.. oh and if possible in our house ALWAYS a chicken frankfurt rather than traditional....
CANNOT go past this.. we have it once a week for sure!
yellow mustard and coleslaw
The Ames Superdog from the Smiles & Gyros cart! "Special sauces" (garlic-cilantro and a pineapple-y sauce), potato chips, bacon, and a slice of melted cheese sealing it all in. OH MAN.
And, I'm not gonna lie, I'm a big fan of the corndog.