Super Bowl Snacks: Walk the Dog

by Sarah J. Gim, Posted Feb 1st 2006 @ 7:05PM

big goopy hot dog
If gettin' all fancy-schmancy with your Super Bowl party foods will get you kicked off the Super Bowl party guest list for years to come, keep it traditional (and easy) with what I call "Walk the Dog." You cook the dogs, and your guests "walk their dogs" along an impressive bar of toppings that goes far beyond ketchup, mustard, and relish. The toppings I like to include on a Walk the Dog Bar, with some tips, are:

Chili - made of just ground meat and gravy. No beans. Trust me. Rather, trust Sarah Gilbert.
Cheese - shredded cheese is usual, but I have found that keeping the cheese as slices reduces the chance of cheese being ground into your carpet. While American and Cheddar are the standard, you can also offer provolone or mozzarella to go with an Italian-themed dog.

Vegetables - chopped onions are usual, but you can go one step further and saute them a la In-n-Out's Animal Style. Like cheese, tomatoes are much cleaner if you keep them in thin slices. I also like to include grilled peppers, olives, and hot peppers (usually, jalapenos). Shredded lettuce is good, but stay with Iceberg. This is a hot dog we're talking about here.
Guacamole - No words necessary. It's guacamole, for God's sake.
Relish - You'll probably get some angry looks if you forget the relish. You can take it on step further with thin pickle spears.
Mustard - Try offering more than just ballpark yellow mustard. Hot mustard, Dijon, and sweet mustard are good options. Try to find these in squeeze bottles.
Ketchup - Eh, you have to include this, if for nothing else, to go with the fries you've been serving.
Marinara sauce - This is for one the "theme" dogs - Italian.
Salsa - In case you haven't heard, salsa has replaced ketchup as the favorite condiment in America.

There are a few additional tips and suggestions to really take your dog for a walk:

Print out for your guests some suggested dog "ideas" for using the condiments: Italian Dog with marinara and mozzarella cheese; Nacho Dog with salsa, guacamole, cheese, olives and jalapenos, and Chicago-style Dog with mustard, chopped onion, relish, tomatoes, pickle spears on either side. Of course, you'd have to provide sport peppers and celery salt.
Offer more than just the standard ballpark dog. Try bratwurst, hot links or if you're a Steelers fan, Polish sausage.
Nothing will have your guests howling at the moon faster than a bacon-wrapped dog. Simply wrap a slice (or two) of bacon around the dog in a spiral, and grill from there. (Obviously, it doesn't work quite as well for boiling).

Filed Under: Ingredients, How To
Tags: america, beef, cheese, comfort food, condiments, dinner, lunch, pork, vegetables

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Reader comments (Page 3 of 3)

2-05-2006 @2:00PM dokhunt said... Puerto Rican Hot Dog
When we were in Puerto Rico a couple of summer's ago, we had great dogs from little carts around the island. They were simple but pretty yummy. A regular hot dog on bun topped with mustard, ketchup, squeezy cheese (from a can) and then topped with shoestring potato sticks (from a can). Sounds weird, but it was yummy!
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2-05-2006 @2:05PM elfriede russell said... for a totally different hot dog or brat, try curry wurst. It is famous in Germany. Just top your desired wurst with ketchup, curry powder and hot paprika to your liking. You can use sweet paprika and a little, or lot, cayenne.
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2-05-2006 @2:16PM Jan Gunnoe said... YES, YES, YES!!! Hotdogs WITH chili (no beans), cole slaw, and a big smathering of mustard!!! NOW that's a hotdog!
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2-05-2006 @2:26PM Franko Piacenti said... Lets go italiano style folks, lets not forget a pile of tri colored bell peppers (red,green,yellow) and onions sauted in garlic butter, lay that down on top of your choice of hot or mild italian sausage, and... well never mind, just get out my way!

AND YES FOLKS, LETS NOT GET STUPID NOW, THE GUACAMOLE THING IS FOR SICKOS, YEA, WHY NOT SOME LIME SHERBET!
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2-05-2006 @2:35PM Franko Piacenti said... P.S. THE ITALIAN DOG RECIPE I POSTED ON HERE IS THE REAL ITALIAN DOG THEME, WHO EVER THINKS THE MARINARA THING IS THE ITALIAN THEME HAS NEVER BEEN TO NY OR ANYWHERE, SPENDS FAR TOO MUCH TIME AT OLIVE GARDEN, AND VERY OBVIOUSLY IS FAR FROM BEING ITALIAN, NICE TRY THOUGH... TURNING A DOG INTO A PIZZA, GEEZ PEOPLE GET REAL, YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT! AND BY THE WAY, TRY SOME PROVOLONE CHEESE, NOW THATS ITALIAN AND FAR BETTER FOR THIS PURPOSE!
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2-05-2006 @2:42PM Kennon said... Don't forget the Tobassco.
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2-05-2006 @2:43PM Kennon said... Don't forget the Tabasco.
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2-05-2006 @3:02PM Kennon said... Try this, it really is great!
Two slices of white fresh bread. Slice two raw weeners long ways. Apply a good amount of mustard and ketchup and mix them together on the other slice. Slice onion rather thin, take apart and put the rings on top of the weeners and appply Tobasco on top.
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