The Food Network

This morning while drinking my coffee and spending the last few moments I will have today in a little quiet,  I was watching "Big Daddy's House" on the Food Network.  He started showing his viewers how to make a Big Daddy Dog.  As he started just mentioning the ingredients I looked at my loving husband with that knowing look and he said, "You have been making hotdogs like that since I've known you!"  And that has been a loooooonnnng time---almost 40 years.   Big Daddy wasn't born when we met.

So here's the recipe, that I learned in my Home Economics class in high school (and have been fixing ever since!) :

Ingredients

• Block Cheddar
• 5 hot dogs, rinsed
• 5 slices bacon
• 5 hot dog buns

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Slice cheese into 5 (1/4-inch thick) slices, then cut the slices in half again, lengthwise.

Butterfly hot dogs lengthwise. Place 2 cheese slices inside the slit and close hot dog. Wrap a slice of bacon tightly around the hot dog, covering the entire surface.

Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Remove from oven allowing grease to drain for a minute on paper towels. Place a hot dog into each bun and serve.

As I have gotten older and like short cuts, I have found that microwaving the dog, then warming the bun, placing the dog in the bun and then sprinkling shredded cheese and bacon bits on the dog tastes almost as good and is a whole lot faster and easier----Just call me Sandra Lee!

Here's a way to make a sandwich that my aunt made for me when I was a little girl and is a favorite in my house: Just take slices of your ham of choice, a slice of swiss cheese, and a couple of slices of either a kosher or dill pickle.  Place on bread treated the way you like with mayo and/or mustards.   Yum!