Shnazzy Dogz

Every now and then I like to bring my son back to when I was a kid.  Reminisce.
Not by suggesting that I walked 5 miles to school in the ravaging cold with a backpack full of what felt like a ton of bricks, rather making foods that I ate when I was little.

There are some things of course that I wouldn’t subject him to. 
Like liver.  My mom used to make it (I know I had it at least once) and when we ate there was no dog under the table to pass off the grossness so you KNOW you had to sit there until it was cold, even more disgusting and choke it down.
I`m not about recreating the bad food memories (foodemory) - I wont eat it to this day!

One great foodemory I`m sure we all share is the pb & j sammies, crusts cut off, sliced in little triangles right?  What about ants on a log?  Or even mac n cheese and hot dogs!  You know, cut all up, placed on top?  I think that may be the first ideas of visual plating as a child.

The other night I was hankering for a hot dog.  I know, processed, its not something I eat often but it was calling my name.  I started thinking of ways to shnaz it up.  Not that ketchup, mustard, sliced onions and relish aren’t good condiments.  Also thinking that it needed to be “a meal” and not just a snack.
AHHHAAAA
Lets just add some creamy homemade mac n cheese to that mix.  But no, not on the plate with the dog sliced up, ON the dog.
OH YA
And since I have a hate on for eating macaroni with ketchup I figured something else was in order.
Creamy, flavorful caramelized onions.
Yup
WINNER.
I’m telling you, wanna channel your inner kid?  MAKE THIS!

The Mac n Cheez Dog

hot dogs
buns
caramelized onions
mac n cheese

Onions:
1 red onion sliced
1 1/2 tbsp. butter
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Slice up your onions.  Add your butter to a cast iron pan on low/med (or non stick pan if you don’t have one).  Toss in your onions, season.  Stir to ensure the onions all have butter attached to them.  This is a slow process (about 15 minutes or so).  Stir around occasionally.

Make your cheese sauce – link here
Drop down your pasta.  I used the noodles from a box of Kraft dinner so that they fit nicely on the bun but you could use whatever you have kickin around.
Steam your hot dogs (and your buns if you want).  If you don’t have a steamer, make one using a pot with a an inch or 2 of water with a sieve/colander, make sure to put a lid on.
Assemble by putting a thin layer of mac n cheese, your dog, a little more mac then add a layer of caramelized onions.
DEVOUR

I’m Listening to:  Best of You – Foo Fighters

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