Hot Dog! Try This Versatile Dinner Dip

Dinner at our friend Latoola's house must be very interesting when she gets in creative cooking mode. We really must finagle an invitation one of these days. Meanwhile, we'll have to settle for trying this latest creative cooking idea she sent us at home.

Start with an 8-pack of your favorite brand of hot dogs; preferably bun length. Chop four of them (using kitchen scissors is the suggested method) into slices approximately a quarter-inch thick. Let them fall into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish, then rearrange so they are evenly spread. Top with a cup of shredded mild cheddar cheese. Add about a half cup of bacon bits, a medium diced fresh tomato, and about a quarter cup of sliced green or black olives (depending on your taste, you can might add both). Next chop the remaining four hotdogs in the same manner and spread them on top of the mixture you've already started. This time add another cup of the shredded mild cheddar cheese and another half cup of bacon bits. Put the dish in the microwave oven and cook on high for 5-6 minutes. Make sure cheese is melty, according to Latoola. Let it sit for two minutes, then scoop it out with a serving spoon.

Estimated preparation time is 10-15 minutes. Add cooking time and you have a fun food fest ready in approximately 20 minutes. And, by all means, if you have children around, let them help. Let them spread the ingredients or suggest some of their favorite things to add.

Serve it as a meal all by itself, or use some of these options.

• Dip it onto a bun and make a sandwich; consider pouring on some catsup or another favorite sauce (try a Tortuga rum sauce).
• Dip it on a large cracker.
• Dip it on to a bed of lettuce and create a salad.
• Dip it with large corn chips.
• Dip it with a pretzel.

Expand its possibilities by dipping the uncooked mixture onto a pizza crust and bake as directed for the crust.

For alternatives to this very versatile dinner dip, add some of your other favorite ingredients, such as salsa, peppers, or some Tortuga Gourmet Pepper Jelly.

Not only is this meal enticing as a dinner option, it has a lot of potential as a party dish or a covered dish for your favorite gathering of family and friends. It's perfect for those who are rushed, on a tight budget, or just plain tired of the same old things everywhere you go during the holidays.

But wait! You don't have to reserve this nifty creative cooking idea only for the holidays. It will work any night, any time, even for no special occasion.

Latoola reports that she and her husband can eat an entire batch of the Hot dog Dinner Dip as a standalone meal on a hungry night when he has skipped dinner, so gauge how much you might need by that and multiply accordingly. Making two batches certainly wouldn't double your efforts.

The point is: Have Fun with Food. What a hot dog of an idea!