Sunday, August 9, 2015

Perfecting my bacon wrapped cheesey weenie recipe

Today was the second time I have made this appetizer and this time it was a little better than the first but it stills needs some work.  Currently the cheese melts and runs out of the weenie leaving me with a barely cheesey weenie.  But I have a plan for the next batch.

Here is the current recipe

Makes 24 appetizers

1 package quality all beef hot dogs (I use Koegel all beef frankfurters)
cheddar cheese (either block or slices) I prefer sharp but it is up to your taste
1 lb uncooked bacon
1/4C brown sugar
parchment paper
tooth picks

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F

Cut the package of bacon in half.  This will result in 24 half slices instead of 12 whole slices.  Cut the hot dogs into thirds.  Most packages of hot dogs contain 8 pieces and when cut into thirds results in 24 pieces.......lucky coincidence or part of my master plan?

Cut small slivers of cheddar the length of the cut hot dogs.  Cut a slit into the side of each piece of hot dog and place a cheese sliver into that slit.  Now wrap each weenie in a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

I'm firing my photographer
Roll each appetizer in the brown sugar, making sure to coat all sides including the ends.  Place in a covered container in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook and serve.  I let mine sit in the fridge over night.

When you are ready to bake, place the appetizers on a cookie sheet that has been lined with a piece of parchment.  I added this step after the first attempt because I ended up soaking my cookie sheet for two days before I was able to remove all the burnt on fat and cheese.  This time around the parchment kept my cookie sheet clean and soaked up all the fat as a bonus.

Bake for 10 minutes then flip the appetizers and bake for another 10 minutes but monitor as the other side may not need the full 10 minutes.  Please do not look at my cookie sheet.  This is the cookie sheet I use to catch drips etc.  After having to soak my good cookie sheet for two days to remove the burnt cheese, I decided to use this one and if the parchment didn't work I was going to toss the cookie sheet in the trash.  But the parchment paper worked great so next time I can use my good cookie sheet.

Remove from oven and place the appetizers onto a plate but first touch the appetizer to a piece of paper towel to absorb any excess fat.  Do not let the appetizers sit on the cookie sheet because they will absorb too much fat and if they cool they will stick to the parchment.

Appetizers can be eaten hot, warm, or cold.

I added the brown sugar step this time to add a crispy brown coating.  But next time I make these I am going to also partially cook the bacon so that my baking time will be reduced and hopefully help with the cheese melting out of the weenie.  Using the broiler might also help with the melting cheese problem. 
I also like using these cheap tin foil containers that have a plastic lid.  I buy them at the dollar store for 2 for $1.00.  I keep several sizes on hand so when I have to take food to a gathering I can use these and not have to worry about retrieving my dishes or worry about breakage.  The plastic lid also works much better than plastic wrap and allows for stacking in the fridge if you are making several dishes.  I agree, that these are not as nice as a pretty decorative plate but for an informal casual family get together, they work perfect.

Anyone else have any ideas on how to keep my cheese from melting?

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