Get off your buns

While shopping in our local Pathmark, my husband Edward discovered a box of pigs in the blanket in the freezer case. "You haven’t made these in a long time," he said. "You wrapped dough around hot dogs and baked them in the oven."

Pigs in the blanket, a staple of weddings, bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs past, are a favorite of my childhood. Kids love them as much as adults. They are small cocktail hot dogs wrapped in dough and baked in the oven. The dipping sauce of choice is good old-fashioned deli mustard.

I love hot dogs. I especially like knockwurst because they are big and plump. My favorite brand is Isaac Gellis, which are all-beef kosher and can be found in Jewish delis. Hebrew National hot dogs and knockwurst, readily available in supermarkets, are also good.

While on the subject of hot dogs, Edward also reminded me that I have not made a hot dog and baked bean casserole in a long time. This is fine winter comfort food at its best. Edward and his two brothers grew up on hot dogs and baked beans baked in a casserole. At our house, our family ate the beans as a side dish.

Much has been written about the famous Chicago hot dog. This baby is loaded with the works. It consists of a plump all-beef hot dog served on a bun and topped with mustard, ketchup, relish, pickles and raw onion. The mustard is the bright yellow variety.

Restaurant 21 in New York City is famous for its hamburger. The recipe appeared in Cosmopolitan magazine during the late 1970s. Since that time, I always make "21" burgers at home.

The Sloppy Joe is another all-American favorite. They are called loose-meat sandwiches in the Midwest. Both are served on hamburger rolls, never Kaiser rolls.

Here are recipes for hot dogs and ground beef.

Pigs in the Blanket

Ingredients:

1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent-roll dough
8 hot dogs
Mustard for dipping

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Separate the dough into eight triangles. Wrap one piece of dough around each hot dog. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the dough is puffy and golden brown. Serve with mustard.

Serves four.

Hot Dog and Baked Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pound thick sliced bacon, cooked crisp
2 (15-ounce) cans baked beans
8 hot dogs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

While the bacon is cooking, you can doctor up the beans if you wish. I like to add some chili sauce and brown sugar. Some people prefer honey as a sweetener. Ketchup and mustard are sometimes used to flavor baked beans.

To make the casserole, place the beans in a baking dish. I usually use a glass lasagna pan. Cut each hot dog into four pieces. Scatter the hot dogs over the beans. Mix well. Slice each strip of bacon into three pieces. Top the hot dog and beans mixture with the bacon.

Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the beans are nice and hot.

Serves four.

Chili Corn Dog Pie
From The Dinner Doctor by Anne Byrn

Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) cans chili with beans
6 to 8 hot dogs, sliced in half lengthwise
1 cup self-rising cornmeal mix or 1 cup cornmeal mixed with 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup pre-shredded sharp cheddar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Pour the chili into an 11-by-7-inch (2-quart) glass or ceramic baking dish. Arrange the hot dog slices on top of the chili.

Whisk together the cornmeal mix, milk, egg and oil in a small bowl and pour it evenly over the hot dogs. Sprinkle the cheddar on top.

Bake the casserole until the cornbread topping is lightly brown and firm and the chili bubbles around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and set it aside to cool for five minutes before spooning the chili corn dogs onto plates.

Serves six to eight.

Note: Byrne writes that kids really enjoy this casserole. She serves it with mustard on the side and cole slaw. You can substitute your favorite homemade chili for the canned variety.

The 21 Burger

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
Sprinkling of dried onion flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Directions:

Place the ground beef in a mixing bowl and carefully break it apart. Add the onion flakes, kosher salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Blend well with your hands. Add the parsley and blend again.

Form the hamburger meat into four patties.

Heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add the burgers and cook for about five minutes on each side for rare. Cook about five minutes more for medium-rare.

Serve on soft hamburger rolls.

Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: I always use 93-percent lean ground beef when making burgers.

Sloppy Joe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup chili sauce or 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
Hot sauce, to taste
6 hamburger rolls

Directions:

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet or electric frying pan. Add the onion and saut� for a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Add kosher salt and pepper. Transfer the onion to a plate and set aside.

Add the ground beef, about 3 tablespoonfuls at a time, to the skillet and saut� the beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Repeat until all the beef is browned. It should only take about five minutes to brown the beef. You don’t want to overcook it. Add the onion, chili sauce or tomato sauce, water and hot pepper sauce. Blend well. Cover the skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.

Place the hamburger rolls on six plates. Spoon some of the Sloppy Joe mixture on the bottom half of the roll and cover with the tops.

Serves six.

Note from Phyllis: You can top each Sloppy Joe with some shredded cheddar cheese and run them under the broiler.