Hot Dog Recipes for Adults Who Want to Feel Like Kids Again

The secret to these fruity, cheesy dogs? Cooking them in apple juice before piling them high with apple slices and melted white cheddar cheese. The result: One of the best hot dog recipes you'll ever devour—no ketchup or mustard required. If you'd like to add a little green to your plate, stack some arugula on top; the peppery notes of the leaves play nicely with the sweet-tart apples and rich cheese.

Related: Condiments and Other Grocery Items You Can Make Better at Home

Mac and cheese on a hot dog? Oh, we went there. First stir together the mac and cheese, then pile it onto your hot dog. Add a pinch of chili powder, and bite into this nostalgic combo of two favorite childhood foods.

Test Kitchen Tip: To get this creative hot dog recipe on the table a tiny bit faster, prepare a box of mac and cheese instead of starting from scratch.

Take some inspiration from a popular diner entrée to whip up this gourmet hot dog recipe. Admittedly, you may not immediately think Cobb salad has a place at your cookout, but think again. Crispy bacon, juicy cherry tomatoes, crunchy iceberg lettuce, and a creamy yogurt and basil dressing are exactly the topper your hot dogs have been missing.

Please any kids—and kids at heart—with this hearty option that features three classic comfort foods in one. Atop the sausage, layer on store-bought (or your go-to homemade chili recipe) plus prepared macaroni salad or mac and cheese. Garnish with corn chips and cilantro, and you'll be treated to a mash-up meal that has just about everything.

Give your grilled hot dogs a Vietnamese-inspired twist with cucumber slices, shredded carrots, and fresh mint. Drizzling on a mix of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and Asian sweet chili sauce makes this quick dish taste surprisingly complex. "Our family loved this one! Such a refreshing change from regular hot dogs," BH&G reader Michele says.

Put down that ketchup bottle. Chopped plums, olives, red wine vinegar, and olive oil make a sweet-and-salty—and far more unexpected—topper for this freshly-grilled hot dog recipe. Since your fruit serving is already covered, pair this 15-minute meal with a side of chips and a salad to round out the meal.

Just like New Orleans' most famous sandwich, this hot dog recipe idea is loaded with chopped tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, green olives, and a sprinkle of fresh oregano. Oh, and lots of melted mozzarella cheese, of course. Whether you grill, steam, or boil the sausages, they'll make for a fast and filling meal once you top them accordingly.

Related: Healthy Hot Dogs with 6 Grams of Fat or Fewer (That Actually Taste Amazing)

Ice cream cones. Baseball. Fireworks. Aside from these iconic staples, little says "summer" more than a hot dog. This grilled hot dog recipe is particularly appropriate for the season, since we call for loading up the beefy hot dogs with fresh garden vegetables like vinegar-tossed tomatoes, smoky grilled corn kernels, crunchy lettuce, and onion

Full-size sandwiches are great. But come party time, a bite-size option—like this mini hot dog recipe—is even easier to share and prepare en masse. A whopping 45 servings of these candied bacon-wrapped hot dog snacks cook to crispy perfection on a sheet pan all at the same time. "It is absolutely one of the easiest and best appetizers I have ever made and eaten," one BH&G reader raves.

Test Kitchen Tip: Line your baking sheet with foil, then stack on a wire baking rack if you have one handy. This will allow the bacon grease to drip away, yielding crispy (not greasy) results.

We love the classic pig-in-a-blanket concept so much, we started wondering, "why limit it to such a small portion size?" So we made it even bigger and better in this hot dog crescent roll recipe that's great any time of year—not just Halloween. We still kept the ingredient list nice and slim: You just need hot dogs, refrigerated crescent roll dough, melted butter, and your favorite condiments.