Your Hot Dogs Deserve A Crispy Cheese Shell

Hot dogs are a timeless American food best enjoyed under stadium headlights and ultraviolet fireworks. Or, of course, from that trusty street vendor who sets up shop outside the club at 3 a.m. Wherever you're eating one, a hot dog is typically assembled with a soft split top bun stuffed with a frankfurter and topped with ketchup, mustard, and relish. Although this timeless combination is a tried and true masterpiece, there are no laws against shaking up hot dog traditions – just ask Chicago. But we're not talking about adding a pickle spear, tomato wedges, and a sport pepper to a hot dog, we're talking about encasing the hot dog in a crispy cheese shell.

When cheese is browned, it takes on a rich, nutty, buttery, and complex taste. By heating cheese over the stove until it's charred with a golden brown hue and using it to wrap hot dog wiener up like a burrito, you give a plain-tasting Frankfurt a surprising trim of crusty, cheesy, flavor-packed goodness. Not only does it improve the taste of a hot dog, but the crispy crunch of the cheese is also the perfect textural contrast to the tender meat and cloud-like bun, making the mouthfeel of the handheld entree all the more satisfying and dynamic. Plus, cheese is a versatile ingredient that marries well with the classic hot dog fixings, ensuring you'll never have to compromise on or omit your favorite toppings. Want an even bigger blast of cheese? Ditch the bun altogether and use the crispy cheese in place of bread.

Assembling a basic hot dog doesn't require much skill, and encasing its meat in a crispy shell doesn't have to complicate the process. With a few tips in mind, you'll have a cheesy, one-of-a-kind hot dog that will have the whole cookout talking.

The Maillard reaction is a chemical heat reaction between amino acids and sugars that triggers browning. To elicit the reaction, you need to heat food to at least 250 degrees Fahrenheit. To get a proper browning on your hot dog cheese, sear it on low to medium heat on a non-stick pan or with a small amount of oil to prevent the cheese from clinging to its surface.

Hard cheese develops the crunchiest char, so try using parmesan, aged cheddar, Asiago, or Colby-Jack for the best results. Softer cheese like mozzarella can work, but avoid using ultra-fresh varieties submerged in water or brine. Slices of cheese are more likely to burn at the edges, so opt for shredded cheese instead. Once your cheese is golden brown and crispy, place a cooked hot dog weiner at the edge of the cheese's surface and use a spatula to roll it up like a burrito before nestling it into your favorite split-top bun and smothering it with your go-to toppings. For the best flavor, buy high-quality hot dog meat. Although the cheese can mask the taste of a bland frankfurter, quality is key. If you enjoy a cheese shell-cased hot dog, try it on a beefy, brawny bratwurst next.