Bacon-Wrapped & Cheddar Stuffed Dogs

These are not your average ballpark franks. Each hot dog gets a slit down the center, stuffed with a strip of cheddar, then spiral-wrapped in two slices of thick-cut bacon and broiled until everything is crispy, melty, and ridiculous.

The trick to the bacon is par-cooking it in a skillet first. Three minutes gets the fat rendering and the bacon flexible enough to wrap tightly around the frankfurter without cracking or unraveling. Raw bacon wrapped around a hot dog won’t cook through under the broiler before the cheese blows out.

Pat the frankfurters dry before slitting and stuffing them. Moisture on the surface prevents the bacon from sticking and makes it slide around during cooking. Toothpicks are your insurance policy while everything sets under the heat.

Pro Tips

• Cut the cheese into long, thin strips that fit snugly into the slit. Shredded cheese melts out too fast and drips away before the bacon crisps.
• Use thick-cut bacon. Thin bacon crisps too fast and burns before the hot dog heats through.
• Watch these closely under the broiler. Two to three minutes is all they need once the bacon is par-cooked. They go from golden to charred in seconds.
• Remove the toothpicks before serving, or at least warn your guests. Nobody wants a surprise.

Variations

• Pepper jack: Swap the cheddar for pepper jack cheese for a spicy, gooey center.
• Jalapeño popper dog: Add a thin slice of jalapeño inside the slit with the cheese for a popper-inspired twist.
• Grilled version: Skip the broiler and cook these on a medium grill, turning frequently, for a smokier finish.