Move Over Hot Dogs, We're Using Ground Beef To Make Burger Dogs

If you live in the U.S., you probably have burgers on a decently-regular basis, whether you grab one at the McDonald's drive thru, order one at a gourmet restaurant, or make a bunch for a backyard barbecue. They are a quintessential food of the American people, and for good reason — the greasy beef patty melts perfectly with all the condiments and toppings. And that's just the thing: Burgers are known for their flavor, not necessarily their presentation or form. So, why not try a fun new twist on burgers with burger dogs?

Burger dogs (not to be confused with the catchy "Bluey" song, "Burger Dog") are super easy to make. You'll need very few ingredients: beef (choose a juicy variety), salt, pepper, any other burger seasonings you want, cheese, and hot dog buns. To start, prepare the beef however you normally would for regular ol' hamburgers, but avoid these mistakes. Once you've done that, you need to get the beef into a flat hot dog-ish shape. You could do this a couple ways: by wrapping the beef in plastic wrap and spinning it into shape before flattening, or by simply rolling the beef into long logs by hand, then flattening them. From there, you can grill your "patties," making sure they reach an internal temperature of 160 F, which is the point at which they are deemed safe for consumption by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Then place them into the hot dog buns and top them however you want. It's a simple, but fun, twist on an American classic.

If meat isn't your thing, no worries. You can make this burger dog vegetarian or vegan by simply replacing the beef with veggies or some meat alternative like Impossible ground beef or Beyond Meat. Just be sure that whatever you choose is pliable and, more importantly, won't fall apart on the grill. The USDA recommends cooking plant-based meats and burgers to the same temperature as normal meat products to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. 

Whatever burger you choose to make, you can make them even more delicious by putting cheese inside of the burger. Of course, cheese on top is still delicious, but there is something extra delicious when you cook the cheese with the meat. To do this, simply add a strip of your cheese of choice (like cheddar for a classic or pepper Jack for a Mexi-melt twist) to the center of the beef before closing it up and shaping it. Then, cook it the same way as normal.

When it comes to toppings, you can use whatever your heart desires. You could offer all the classic burger toppings, or, for a fun twist, you could try to mimic a classic regional hotdog, such as a Chicago-style dog or a Coney dog. For a Chicago dog, offer mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, pickles, peppers, and celery salt (ketchup is all but banned in the Windy City). For a Coney dog, offer a Coney sauce (made with beef, seasonings, and condiments) and shredded cheddar cheese.