Spaghetti Dogs

OK, for those of you who may not know me very well, I don't have any children or grandchildren. Thus, it is rare for me to be around children, much less have the slightest idea of what they like to eat. The best that I can do is assume that they don't like meals that contain hot chili peppers...


My husband & I invited some friends for dinner recently, who have a six year old boy. We planned our menu, a beautiful work of art, I must say. Then, on the night they were to visit, they called to say that their babysitter had cancelled, and asked if they could bring their son. Well of course they could! We love him to pieces! But...what would we serve him? We knew he wouldn't go for the grilled blackened pork, or the delicate asparagus with Hollandaise ...We had to think fast and come up with something that kids like and that he would actually enjoy eating! And so we brainstormed. 


Kids love hot dogs, we decided. And they love spaghetti. Now, I can tell you that the only way I will eat a hot dog is if it is a pure beef dog, if it is cooked on the grill, outside on a very hot summer day, if it is served in a bun with jalapeno peppers, sharp cheddar cheese and spicy mustard, and if it is accompanied by a Bud Light Lime. I do not cook, nor do I eat boiled hot dogs. But kids do. And they don't require all of those condiments and accessories (such as a Bud Light Lime)!


I can also tell you that when I make spaghetti, it is loaded with a good Diavolo sauce (aka hot, like the devil himself), and has something like shrimp or hot Italian sausage and loads of parmesan cheese in it! But kids love spaghetti, especially the whole slurping aspect of eating it, and they don't require all of those ingredients or flavors that we (much older) people do.


And so was borne Spaghetti Dogs.


The strategy is simple. Start with some hot dogs, (all beef, preferably). You can determine how many dogs you need, based on the number of little mouths you are feeding. I used three dogs for this recipe. And that awesome little boy ate almost the entire bowl. 


Cut the hot dogs into bite-size pieces.

Now, take some good strong (uncooked) spaghetti. Don't use angel hair or such. Use regular weight spaghetti. Depending on the size of your hot dog pieces, you can break the spaghetti pieces in half, or leave them at their full length. 


Now, take those pieces of spaghetti and stick them through the hot dog pieces from end to end.

 Here is another shot of how you might stick your spaghetti through the hot dog piece:

Now comes the hard part. Boil some water and toss the spaghetti dogs in. Depending on the number of lovely little children you are serving this to, you might want to add some additional spaghetti into the pot.


Then, boil the spaghetti dogs for 9-11 minutes, or until spaghetti is cooked. Keep in mind that you might have to boil it a minute or more than your box of spaghetti calls for, so that the spaghetti inside the hot dog gets cooked and softened as well. Also remember that little children don't understand the concept of al dente. So, if you have to over boil the spaghetti dog in order to make sure the spaghetti is cooked, don't worry. The kids will never know the difference!


When spaghetti is cooked and soft, drain it and serve it up to that precious little child! They will be utterly fascinated, wondering how the spaghetti got inside those hot dogs!

Take my word for it. If the child didn't remember you when they walked in the door and shied away from your hugs...they will be contentedly fast asleep on your lap by the time you and his parents are sipping cognac following your own fantastic dinner.


Spaghetti Dogs


Ingredients
Hot dogs
Spaghetti


Directions
Fill a pot with water and set onto stove, over high heat.
Cut hot dogs into bite size pieces.
Insert whole or half spaghetti pieces through each piece of hot dog, end to end, being careful not to break.
When all hot dogs are ready, drop into boiling pot of water.
Cook according to spaghetti (box) directions, 9-11 minutes, or until spaghetti is limp.
Serve to small-medium children who are old enough to love slurping spaghetti but not yet old enough to understand that hot dogs and spaghetti are not something they will eat when they are older.

Sweet Hot Jalapeno Tear-Away Bread

The original recipe that inspired my Sweet Hot Jalapeno Tear-Away Bread called for pickled jalapeno peppers and a loaf of sourdough bread. Turns out, I didn't have either on hand when I decided to make it.

  

I did have a frozen loaf of Italian bread. So I thawed it and let it rise, baked it and used it as my bread round. In retrospect, I would recommend a "harder" crust bread, such as a sourdough or white round of bread. My Italian bread smooshed down too much when I started slicing it (which you will also see). But I still had to post the pictures of the bread rising and how yummy it looked after I cooked it. And, even though it didn't hold up as strongly as a much heartier bread, the end result, though perhaps not as pretty, still tasted awesome. So, choose your bread as you will. (And if you don’t like this recipe, just butter up this loaf of bread and go sit down somewhere!). 

I couldn't believe that I didn't have a jar of hot pickled jalapeno peppers in the pantry, since they are a main staple in this house. But, I did have a jar of the (new) Mrs. Renfro's Sweet & Hot Jalapeno Peppers. If you are one of those people that is afraid of the heat of jalapeno peppers, you absolutely need to try these. They taste like bread and butter pickles, with just a bit of heat. I am not a product endorser, and I don't work for Mrs. Renfro, but, I might just let her know that she is now part of my blog. These peppers are so sweet and so delicious and they make a great addition to the tear-away bread. If you can't find them in your store, let me know. I'll personally call Mrs. Renfro for you and tell her to get them to your area. If you prefer your peppers hotter, feel free to use regular hot pickled jalapeno peppers.  But let me just say, these sweet & hot jalapenos are the bomb!

This is the first time I've made this recipe, and I learned a few things along the way. You will see by the directions that you should spread the cream cheese, and then spread the jalapenos and then spread the bacon pieces, into each cut of the bread. In retrospect, I would recommend that you add the jalapeno pieces and the bacon pieces into your cream cheese mixture, and then spread it. (Then proceed with the shredded cheese addition). This will save you tons of time. The recipe, however, does not include this short cut, because I wanted to show how I really did it, as indicated in the pictures.

The last thing I can say about this recipe is that there is a reason why I placed it under "Food that you'll love but you may not want to eat if your cholesterol is high". It is a delicious recipe, loaded with cheese, bacon and more cheese, but, don't eat too much of it in one sitting. Because it will definitely clog your arteries! If you make it, you might want to share it with a crowd. Otherwise, you may end up eating the entire loaf yourself! 

Now, let's get started!

Slice your bread into a crisscross pattern, as indicated in the recipe directions. Once you have sliced your bread and mixed up your cream cheese, spread the cream cheese mix in between the cuts of bread, then add the jalapenos, and then the bacon. Spread the cuts of bread apart with your fingers each time, to ensure that all of your ingredients get down in between the bread cuts.

Now add your shredded cheese, again spreading the cuts of bread apart so that the cheese gets down in between. Be sure to save some cheese to sprinkle over the top.

When your bread is ready, wrap it in foil, sealing it tightly. Be sure to tent the top, however, so that your foil doesn't steal all of the melted cheese off the bread.

Bake according to directions, and this is what you'll get!

Now comes the fun part...begin tearing it apart...

Look at all of that yummy, gooey, cheesy, bacon, sweet hot jalapeno deliciousness!

As my hubby always says, "it's so good it'll make you want to smack your granny"!

Just don't forget to share it...

Sweet Hot Jalapeño Tear-Away Bread

Ingredients
16 oz. round white or sourdough loaf, unsliced
12 oz. cream cheese softened
4 tbsp. juice from a jar of Mrs. Renfro’s (new) Sweet & Hot Jalapeno Peppers
2 tsp. garlic powder
½ c. cup diced Mrs. Renfro’s (new) Sweet & Hot Jalapeno Peppers
4 slices cooked bacon, chopped (pepper bacon preferred)
½ c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

½ c. Velveeta cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the bread going in both directions without cutting all the way through to the bottom, so that you end up with a checkerboard pattern of cuts.

Place the loaf of bread on a large sheet (or sheets) of foil; large enough to (eventually) enclose the entire loaf of bread.

Place the bread (on foil) onto a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, jalapeño pepper juice and garlic powder.

Using a knife or spreader, spread the cream cheese mixture in between the cuts of bread.

(I found that the best way to do this is to load up your spreader and distribute your cream cheese onto both sides of each section that you are spreading. This will save you some time).

Sprinkle diced jalapeño peppers onto bread, spreading the cuts of bread apart to get the peppers in between.

Sprinkle chopped bacon on the bread, spreading the cuts of bread apart to get the bacon pieces in between.

Sprinkle the shredded cheese on the bread, spreading the cuts of bread apart to get the cheese in between.

Top the bread with any remaining shredded cheese.
Wrap the prepared bread in foil, tenting the foil so that it doesn’t stick to the top of the bread.

Bake bread for 15 minutes or until the insides are melting.

Open the foil and lay it back to expose the bread.

Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve hot.

What's For Dessert?

My husband, who literally lives for anything chocolate, found a vintage recipe for individual chocolate souffle in a circa 1979 Better Homes & Gardens cookbook that once belonged to his mom, and asked me to make it. Since we love the combination of chocolate and heat, I decided to change it up a bit... I substituted the cream cheese & chocolate syrup called for in the recipe with Kraft Dark Chocolate Indulgence (I just happened to have a few tubs of it in my fridge!), and then added some chipotle hot sauce into the mix.  I sprinkled the ramekins with a mixture of sugar and chipotle chili powder, and the whipped cream topping has a dash of chipotle powder on top. If you can't get your hands on the Kraft Indulgence, use 8 oz. cream cheese softened and ½ c. chocolate syrup in its' place. And don't be afraid of the "heat". It adds a delightful flavor to the dish. I must admit, this is by far one of the best chocolate souffles I have ever put into my mouth! Check it out; it will definitely make someone in your life weep with happiness!

Ingredients

1 tsp. butter

2 tsp. granulated sugar

3 tsp. chipotle chili powder, divided

4 eggs

1/3 c. milk

¼ c. granulated sugar

8 oz. Kraft Philadelphia Indulgence - Dark Chocolate

2 tsp. chipotle hot sauce

4 tbsp. whipped cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Using 1 tsp. butter, grease the bottom and sides of four 1-cup ramekins.

In a small bowl, combine 2 tsp. granulated sugar and 2 tsp. chipotle chili powder.

Sprinkle ramekins with the sugar mixture.

Swirl the sugar around the inside walls of each ramekin.

In a large mixing bowl on medium speed, combine 4 eggs, 1/3 c. milk and ¼ c. sugar.

Blend until smooth.

Slowly add the Kraft Dark Chocolate Indulgence, blending after each addition, until smooth.

Add hot sauce.

Blend until smooth.

Pour into prepared ramekins.

Place ramekins on a baking sheet.

Pour some water into the bottom of the baking sheet, high enough to cover the bottom of each ramekin.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until set.

Put a dollop of whipped cream on top of each souffle.

Sprinkle whipped cream with chipotle chili powder and serve hot.

Baby Sandwiches

These little sandwiches are very simple to make and are great for a snack, or, if you increase your ingredients, they are perfect for the ladies at a baby shower (hence baby sandwiches).  You only need a few ingredients, and you can change them up by using different vegetables like watercress, fresh zucchini or red peppers. The cheese brings the flavor (with a baby bite of heat), the veggies give it snap, and the little bread rounds make the dish attractive.

Ingredients

3 oz. Boursin Gourmet Spreadable Cheese (Garlic & Herbs)

2 drops (favorite) hot sauce (optional)

1/2 cucumber, peeled

1 plum tomato

3 slices white bread

3 slices pumpernickel or any wheat/brown bread

Directions

Place spreadable cheese in a small bowl.

Add 2 drops of hot sauce & combine.

Using a small round cookie cutter, or wine glass, cut 6 circles of white bread and six circles of pumpernickel bread.

Slice the cucumber into 4 pieces that are the approximate size of your bread round and/or trim the cucumber slice to fit the bread round.

Slice the tomato into 4 pieces that are the approximate size of your bread round and/or trim the tomato slice to fit the bread round.

Spread some cheese on one side of a brown bread circle.

Place a slice of cucumber on top of that circle.

Spread some cheese on one side of a white bread circle.

Place that circle cheese side up on top of the cucumber.

Add a slice of tomato to the stack.

Spread some cheese on another brown bread circle.

Place the brown bread circle cheese side down over the tomato.

Skewer a toothpick or dried spaghetti with small pieces of cucumber and/or tomato for garnish.

Spear through the sandwich to hold it together.

Repeat process, starting with a circle of white bread, and alternating the cucumber and tomato, so that some of your sandwiches have white bread on top and others have brown bread on top.

Yield: 4 bite-size appetizers

Baby Sandwiches