A Loaded Baked Potato Is Honestly The Perfect Vessel For Your Hot Dog
There are plenty of great hot dog bun substitutes out there. For example, you can use the popular hot dog taquito hack of swapping hot dog buns with tortillas and then cooking the whole thing. For a similar hot dog hack, you can try adding your hot dog to a loaded baked potato.
Though very different, hot dogs and baked potatoes share a lot in common. Both dishes are relatively easy to prepare and cook. They are both comfort foods. Like hot dog buns, baked potatoes are split down the middle, leaving room for a frankfurter and whatever else we might want to accompany it.
Finally, both hot dogs and baked potatoes beg to have delicious toppings added to them. Many of the toppings we love to put on a baked potato also work on hot dogs. Cheese, bacon bits, and salsa are just a few. The flavor combinations are endless.
Both ingredients offer a crispy outside and a soft inside
You'll want to start by baking the potato. We do not recommend wrapping each potato in aluminum foil, as this can make the baked potato skin soggy. For many, crispy skin is essential in a baked potato. This is best achieved by placing it directly on the rack.
As for the hot dog, the cooking method is up to you. Some recipes suggest pan-frying the hot dogs with butter, but nothing will stop you from cooking your hot dog on the grill to get that nice char. You can also try air-frying the frank or roasting it in the oven.
If done correctly, the hot dog's char will complement the potato's crispy skin. Meanwhile, the fluffiness of the potato's insides will match the frank's tender juiciness. But to make your baked potato hot dog complete, you will want to make sure you have plenty of fixings available. After all, this pairing shines best when loaded with toppings.
The combination allows you to experiment with toppings
There is an overlap between traditional hot dog toppings and traditional baked potato fixings. There is no reason to stop there, though. The baked potato hot dog has so many possibilities. Anything that goes on a hot dog can go on a baked potato, and vice versa.
Though sour cream may be a more apparent baked potato topping, it isn't entirely foreign to hot dogs. This becomes clear when you remember how well sour cream goes with chili. We can say the same for chives, cheddar, and most other staples of the loaded baked potato.
You could also try some of the classic regional styles of hot dogs, adapted for the baked potato bun. For example, the toppings of a West Virginia dog –- mustard, coleslaw, and chili -– sound delicious on a baked potato. You could also try adapting the Chicago-style dog by using mustard, onions, sweet relish, tomatoes, pickles, and sports peppers on top. Just make sure to leave off the ketchup. On the other hand, you can go ahead and stick with simply ketchup. It's entirely up to you.