Hit it Out of the Ballpark With this Hot Dog Bar

People have strong opinions about serious things like hot dogs.

Erin’s husband Steve is a purist. He likes his hot dog boiled and then topped with yellow mustard and a little relish. If you can wrap it in foil and he can eat it in a ballpark watching his beloved Orioles play, all the better. This post is not for him.

It is,  however, most assuredly for you. Summer is approaching full swing now. Time to dust off your inner Donna Reed and get ready to play the hostess with the mostest.  Unfortunately, May is also about the time that your energy hits a brick wall because you have been running ragged to and from sports banquets/graduations/dances/concerts. And don’t forget it ’tis the season for outdoor maintenance. As if taking care of the inside and everyone in it isn’t job enough.

The Sisterhood is here to help, because we LOVE to party. Last Father’s Day, Erin’s mother-in-law set up a hot dog bar to feed the masses.  Nearly all the work for this one was on the front end which meant more time partying and less time prepping.   Even better, the minions LERVED it so much that nobody complained. This meant the adults could partake of some tasty beverages and indulge in uninterrupted chitchat. These hot dog recipes come together to create the ultimate party plan, we swear.

Reinvigorate your summer party plans with an easy, but delicious hot dog bar full of tasty surprises (and recipes). Pimiento cheese or blue cheese devil toppings anyone? | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

 

1. Forget the grill. Fire up the crockpot.

Have you ever seen Erin pull up in front of your house? It’s like a clown car spewing a never-ending stream of kids from both minivan doors. Feed the herd or be trampled by it, we always say, so save yourself the hassle and some potential heat stroke by skipping the grill.

You can roast up to 60 hot dogs by placing them standing up in a crockpot and turning it on low for 2-3 hours. You DO NOT need to add water. It couldn’t be easier. Honestly.

You can rotate them around a little about halfway through but if you forget because you are too busy playing in the pool, everything will turn out just fine. If you are roasting about half that many hot dogs, you can lay them on their sides.

The crockpot means you have lots of hot dogs good and ready for all their fixins.

2. Set up the bar.

If your family is anything like ours, they can be a little slow on the uptake. Spell it out for them. Include directions on what kind of dogs you can make with each fixin’. You’ll appreciate the hundred questions you headed off at the pass. We added pictures to help with that whole slow-on-the-uptake issue, but you could use folded cards or little chalkboards with the recipes on them.

Reinvigorate your summer party plans with an easy, but delicious hot dog bar full of tasty surprises (and recipes). Pimiento cheese or blue cheese devil toppings anyone? | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Make sure you have rolls and traditional toppings like mustard and ketchup available too. We always offer a yellow mustard, a spicy mustard, and an atomic spicy mustard.

We also make sure there’s some cole slaw, pasta salad, and fruit salad to round out the bar. We always add a little of Aunt Ardell’s Blueberry Teacake to finish the meal.

Reinvigorate your summer party plans with an easy, but delicious hot dog bar full of tasty surprises (and recipes). Pimiento cheese or blue cheese devil toppings anyone? | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

3. Prep each fixin’.

Blue Cheese Devil Topping

Reinvigorate your summer party plans with an easy, but delicious hot dog bar full of tasty surprises (and recipes). Pimiento cheese or blue cheese devil toppings anyone? | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Blue Cheese Devil Topping

To make the Blue Cheese Devil Topping (click here for the printable recipe):

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

2 medium green onions, minced (yields about 2 Tablespoons)

1 Tablespoon Sriracha sauce

4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Mix well and serve.

 

Pimiento Cheese Topping

Reinvigorate your summer party plans with an easy, but delicious hot dog bar full of tasty surprises (and recipes). Pimiento cheese or blue cheese devil toppings anyone? | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Pimiento Cheese Topping

To make the Pimiento Cheese topping (Click here for a printable recipe):

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup minced pimientos

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

4 Tablespoons of mayo

Mix well and serve.

 

BLT Topping

Reinvigorate your summer party plans with an easy, but delicious hot dog bar full of tasty surprises (and recipes). Pimiento cheese or blue cheese devil toppings anyone? | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

BLT Topping

 Our crew loves BLTs because duh. BLT topped hot dogs? Doggone good!

Just set up a tray with the mayo, bacon, lettuce, and tomato and, voila, instant favorite.

Sometimes you just want a little something new, something fresh, something a little exciting and different. Stop daydreaming about a cabana boy and start warming up to the idea of this hot dog bar. Whether you are whooping it up poolside, seaside, or out on the porch, patio, or lawn, this is a great way to get your party on, Sisterhood-style. We plan to follow our own advice and we hope you do too.

Erin and Ellen

 This post was originally published July, 2014.

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6 thoughts on “Hit it Out of the Ballpark With this Hot Dog Bar

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