July 17th is National Hot Dog Day, and to celebrate, I'm going to share with you my four most favorite gourmet hot dog recipes and I'll let you in on a little secret- people will think you slaved forever to make these, but the simple fact is that they're ridiculously easy to make and a wonderful twist on a BBQ staple.

My husband and I used to go to a hot dog restaurant when we lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and they had some of the most interesting combos of toppings. Some of them we loved and others we really didn' (like the hot dog covered in strawberry jam and cream cheese which all of our friends swear is delicious. Us? Not so much).

While we weren't ever able to get the owner of the restaurant to give up his recipes, my husband and I played with different ingredients and came up with recipes that we think taste just like the real deal. So, if you want to take your hot dogs to the next level, you're going to love these!

To start- you’ll need:
1 package of hot dogs and 1 package of hot dog roll
1. Place hot dogs on the grill, in the microwave, or boil until cooked.
2. Time to jazz up the hot dogs (don’t worry- it doesn’t take long!)

  • 1

    Los Angeles Dog

    To make the Los Angeles (my favorite) you’ll need:
    1 cucumber diced
    1 avocado (cut into short, thin strips)
    2 plum tomatoes (sliced)
    ¼ cup of ranch dressing
    ½ teaspoon of celery salt

    Directions: Open bun. Place two slices of avocado on both top and bottom of the bun. Spread diced cucumber on the bun in between the two slices of avocado. Lay two slices of tomato side by side on the bottom of the bun. Sprinkle celery salt to taste. Place the hot dog in the bun. Top of the dog with a tablespoon of ranch dressing and serve.

  • 2

    Memphis Dog

    To make the Memphis (my husband's favorite) you’ll need:

    1 can of hot dog chili
    1 package of bagged coleslaw

    Directions: Place cooked hot dog on an open bun. Spread a tablespoon of hot dog chili over the hot dog. Sprinkle coleslaw to taste on top of hot dog and chow down.

  • 3

    Texan Dog

    To make the Texan you’ll need:
    1 can of hot dog chili
    1 package of shredded cheddar cheese
    1 white onion (diced)
    2 jalapenos (Sliced)

    Directions: Place cooked hot dog on an open bun. Spread a tablespoon of hot dog chili over the hot dog. Spread a 1/2 teaspoon of diced onions over top of the hotdog. Lay the sliced jalapenos the length of the hotdog. Last sprinkle cheese on to of hotdog and enjoy!

  • 4

    Kansas City Dog

    To make the Kansas City you’ll need:
    1 package of bacon
    1 bottle of BBQ sauce

    Directions: Cook bacon till crispy. Crumble up cooked bacon and set aside. Place a cooked hot dog on an open bun. Spread BBQ sauce to cover the entire hot dog. Sprinkle crumbled bacon over the top of hot dog and smile!

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