4 Tricks To Make The Best Chili Dogs You Ever Had

Grilling season is in full swing, and with 4th of July weekend just a few weeks away, it's time to make sure you have that extra propane tank ready to go. Here, I will walk you through four tricks for making the best chili dogs possible.

Let's address one thing first. Sure, we've hit the warmer weather months and bowls of chili might be synonymous with winter comfort food, but there is no bad time to have a chili dog. Whether you are at a ballpark catching a baseball game or at home cooking for the family, the chili plus hot dog combination can be one of the tastiest "treat yourself" meals.

There are a few small things that make a big difference that I have learned along the way in mastering my game of cooking these up. In each of the tricks I detail below, I will explain why this step is important, how it will impact the taste, and increase your overall eating experience.

I should note that the expectation here is that the hot dog will be grilled. Not boiled or cooked on the stove. The grilling adds a texture, char, and preserves the flavors.

Trick 1: Don't overcook the hot dog. This is simple and obvious, but very easy to mess up. There still should be some juice to the hot dog where it is not shriveled and dried out. But also: make sure the hot dog is not undercooked. Most are ready off the grill in 6-8 minutes with proper turning. Side note - my preference is a Nathan's hot dog as its unique taste is significantly different from anything in chili, especially if your chili contains meat.

Trick 2: In your separate pot of chili, blend in some sharp cheddar cheese. It's important to note that this is in place of spreading cheese on top of the chili. Picture this as the bowl of chili you get that has the cheddar baked on top. The first thing you typically do is mix it together with your spoon so the cheese melts within the bowl. Here, we are essentially putting that chili mixed with melted cheddar on the hot dog.

Trick 3: Slice your hot dog down the middle. You don't have to cut it in half completely so that it splits into two sides. Just cut it enough so that there is a one-to-two inch opening in the middle of the dog. Now, you will pour the chili in the middle of the hot dog. Then, pour an even amount along the left side of the hot dog (in between the dog and the bun) and then on the right side.

So if you are looking down at the item on the bun, the order should go - bun, a thin layer of chili, the left side of the hot dog, chili in the sliced middle of the hot dog, right side of the hot dog, a thin layer of chili, bun.

Trick 4: This is optional, but if you prefer to add onions on top (remember the cheese is already there, mixed and melted into the chili), then mince your onions into small pieces and sprinkle them on top.

There is one single purpose to all of these steps. A chili dog can be overwhelming. Meaning that if the chili is just loaded on top, it can smother the hot dog, and you lose the intent of this combo, which is to have each of the unique flavors stand alone. Chances are we've each had a chili dog where the chili dominates the situation, which can either cause you to forget there's even a hot dog in the meal, force you to eat it as fast as possible due to the mess, or abandon your plate altogether.

These four tricks will allow each flavor to bring their respective strengths to the party. The unique tastes then complement each other while also forming a delicious flavor of their own.

Ben and Jerry's new flavors couldn't be more different from each other. The popular New England based ice cream brand has added three options to their creative family so far this year, and here I will rank them all.

Coincidentally, I tried each of these in one sitting. This was an unplanned taste test. With a house full of young kids, a visiting friend recently stopped by and knew the way to quickly win over the youngsters. Pints of ice cream.

Before I get into explaining which was best, I should note I am not an ice cream (or dessert) enthusiast by any means. Dare I say, I hardly seek out ice cream, even in the summer months. However, if it is put in front of me, I will eat it if it's one of my favorite varieties.

If I'm going for ice cream, though, Ben and Jerry's is easily my brand of choice. Being a New Englander, I have toured their Vermont location a handful of times. Their half-baked in a cone is my go-to choice.

If you are not familiar, these are the Ben and Jerry's new flavors that have rolled out in 2024. Impretzively Fudged, PB S'More, and Marshmallow Sky. Now, it's important to note that Marshmallow Sky is new just to pints. Meaning, it was available in their scoop shops only.

Another flavor entitled Strawberry Cheezecake was also unveiled earlier this year. This did not qualify here as a new flavor ranking because it had been an ice cream flavor (branded "cheesecake). The new "cheeze" version is a vegan dairy-free dessert.

Upon seeing these at my house, I realized they were new. So, instead of selecting one pint to scoop, I took one for the team and realized I needed one proper scoop of each.

My process was to try one at a time and not have all three in the same bowl. Blending flavors might compromise the intended taste.

As a result, there was a flavor where one bite was enough. Another where I couldn't get enough, and the third was somewhere in between.

Here is my official ice cream ranking of Ben and Jerry's new flavors.

It's chocolate ice cream with fudge covered pretzel pieces and pretzel swirl. The problem here is that I do not like chocolate covered pretzels. Oddly enough, I love pretzels alone. Dip them in sugar and ice cream and it either compromises the flavor or classifies as "too much." So, this was my least favorite.

Here we have toasted marshmallow ice cream with peanut butter cups, graham cracker pieces, and marshmallow swirl. The graham crackers are the star of this show. They pair better with the ice cream and chocolate than the typical marshmallow of a S'More. This was certainly a tasty delight, but I feel if the marshmallow swirl did not need to be invited to the party.

Admittedly, I was a little cautious about the blue ice cream color thinking it could suffer from cotton candy syndrome (where too much equals upset stomach city). That is not the case here. It's marshmallow ice cream with swirls, and then chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate chocolate chip cookie dough. The latter of the cookie dough bites just brings this to another level. Some sweets get forced together and some just belong together and make each other better. That's the case here. It's no wonder Ben and Jerry's decided to promote this flavor. It tastes as cheerful as it looks.