International Bacon Day Recipe – Bacon Veiled Cheese Stuffed Hot Dogs

In respect (is that the right word?) of International Bacon Day, here is one of the best uses of bacon in my humble opinion. Yes, wrapping bacon around another pork product may ever so slightly increase your heart attack chances, but it tastes so damn good. So, without further ado…allow me to introduce my Bacon Veiled Cheese Stuffed Hot Dogs…

Preparation Time: c.10 mins
Cooking Time: c.20/25 mins
Serves: 4 adults (2 dogs each) or 8 kids (1 dog each)

Ingredients

8 Bratwursts
Mature Cheddar Cheese
English Mustard
1 Jar of Sauerkraut
8 Slices of Bacon
8 Hot Dog Buns
Condiments of Choice – Tomato Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, American Mustard, etc.

Method

• Preheat the over to 160°C. Slice the bratwursts down the middle to make a deep pocket (like a pitta bread)…be careful not to slice right through though. Spread a little of the mustard on the inside of each sausage.
• Half fill each bratwurst ‘pocket’ with cheese and then finish them off by topping with the sauerkraut. Make sure that the sauerkraut covers the cheese and fully stuff the ends of the sausage ‘pockets’ to make sure that the cheese doesn’t leak out during cooking…this is an important step.

• Wrap a slice of bacon around each bratwurst, securing each slice with toothpicks at each end. It’s important to wrap the bacon tightly enough to keep the bratwursts together but not so tight that it tears when they expand through cooking.

• Place the bratwursts into the preheated oven, stuffed side up. Leave to cook for 12/15 minutes and then turn the tray around to help them to cook evenly. Keep an eye on them from this point as they will be ready in the next 5/10 minutes.
• Prepare the hot dog buns just how you like them during the last 5 minutes of cooking and get your preferred condiments ready.
• Remove bratwursts from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Remove the toothpicks, put them in the buns and get munching!

As you can see, I am a sucker for barbecue sauce and American hot dog mustard…these were the bomb!

If you are not a big fan of sauerkraut then you could substitute that with chopped onions, but these Bacon Veiled Cheese Stuffed Hot Dogs deffo work best with the suaerkraut.

Happy Bacon Day y’all!