Creative Hot Dog Toppings

May 23, 2012
Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Zapalowski
Branch out with your hot dog toppings this season and offer  homemade mustard, flavored mayonnaise, gourmet ketchups, slaws, sauerkraut, and an assortment of relishes.
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Zucchini and Bell Pepper Relish

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Zucchini and Bell Pepper Relish Recipe
Chill this relish of zucchini, sweet onion, and bell peppers for up to 1 month.
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Tangy-Sweet Barbecue Sauce

Tangy-Sweet Barbecue Sauce Recipe
For any easy way to entertain, grill hot dogs and offer an assortment of toppings including this sweet homemade barbecue sauce.

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Ballpark Beer Mustard

Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Karen Shinto
Ballpark Beer Mustard Recipe
How cool is this—to make your own mustard? It’s really easy to make, and it's spicy hot with a pleasantly beery afterglow and a lemony tang.
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Minted Onion Relish

Minted Onion Relish Recipe
Not only is this easy mint and onion relish great on a hot dog, you can also use it as a topping for hamburgers, grilled chicken or pork.

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Piquillo Ketchup

Photo: Annabelle Breakey
Piquillo Ketchup Recipe
Make a gourmet-style ketchup by adding a jar of roasted piquillo peppers, almond oil and kosher salt to bottled ketchup. Piquillos are small, mildly spicy red Spanish peppers that you can find in the condiment section of the supermarket.

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Slow Sauerkraut

Sunset
Slow Sauerkraut Recipe
Yes, you can make your own sauerkraut with fresh cabbage. It’s super-easy in a slow cooker.
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Quick Sauekraut

Photo: Andrea Gómez Romero
Quick Sauekraut Recipe
If you don’t have time to make kraut in the slow cooker as the previous recipe directed, you can make it quickly in the microwave. It’s a great topping for both hot dogs and Reuben sandwiches.

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Curried Apricot-and-Tomato Ketchup

Photo: © Tina Rupp
Curried Apricot-and-Tomato Ketchup Recipe
Go golden with ketchup and make your own by cooking fresh chopped tomato and adding dried apricots, curry powder, ginger and garlic. The balance of spicy sweetness is perfect for hot dogs and burgers.

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Tomato-Corn Relish

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Annette Joseph
Tomato-Corn Relish Recipe
Top a hot dog with this zesty fresh corn relish, or use it as a topping for Southern-style hush puppies or black-eyed peas.
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Watermelon Rind Relish

Jan Smith
Watermelon Rind Relish Recipe
Use the white inner rind of a watermelon to make this tangy relish that’s spiced up with turmeric, ginger, and dry mustard.

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Spiced Pepper Relish

Photo: Jan Smith
Spiced Pepper Relish Recipe
This colorful condiment tastes like traditional sweet pickle relish, but with a peppery spike.

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Sweet Onion Relish

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Stephana Bottom
Sweet Onion Relish Recipe
Instead of topping your dog with plain chopped onion, make a sweet and tangy relish with Vidalia onion, celery, and chopped pimento.
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Classic Salsa Verde

Photo: Iain Bagwell
Classic Salsa Verde Recipe
Tomatillos and fresh chiles give this salsa a bright, "green" flavor, and toasting the ingredients contributes a smoky element.

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Fresh Herb Mayonnaise

Fresh Herb Mayonnaise Recipe
Dress up your favorite store-bought mayonnaise with fresh parsley, chives, basil, dill, and oregano for a delicious herb mayonnaise spread for hot dogs, burgers, and other summer sandwiches.

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Red Pepper Mayonnaise

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Kathleen Royal Phillips
Red Pepper Mayonnaise Recipe
Add flavor to plain mayo by stirring in jarred roasted red peppers. Three ingredients are all you need for a gourmet topping for your hot dogs.
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Sweet and Sour Slaw

Photo: Karry Hosford
Sweet and Sour Slaw Recipe
Make yourself a slaw dog by topping your hot dog with this easy slaw that starts with a package of cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw.

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Game-Day Chili

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Zapalowski
Game-Day Chili Recipe
Calling all chili dog lovers. Make a batch of this spicy beef-and-beans chili to keep on hand as a hearty hot dog topping. It makes 13 cups of chili, so if you don't need that much, it's easy to half the recipe.
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