I grew up in a family where we rarely ate out. We love to cook so if we had a craving for something we made it ourselves at home. Once in a great while, an occasion to eat out would come up and we would go to the local “Greek” Restaurant. I grew up on the Southwest side of Chicago, near Midway Airport and these “Greek” places were on every couple of corners. This is not the kind of Greek Restaurant you are thinking of, there was little, if any, actual Greek Food. The restaurants in our neighborhood were just all owned by Greek families so they were called Greek restaurants by everyone . These places could be found all of the Southwest Side. Each little pocket neighborhood had their own. Most had a similar menu, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Usually a mix of home cooked type meals like meat loaf, chicken kiev, sandwiches, and always a soup of the day. Every family has their own favorite restaurant, for different reasons. My family preferred Mt. Pindos Restaurant on the corner of Archer and Pulaski across from Curie High School.

This restaurant is long gone, but I still have the memories of going there with my family. One thing I remember the most is going there with one of my Aunts and Uncles and my cousins and my cousin always ordering a Francheezie. A hot dog that was filled with cheese and wrapped in bacon. Seriously, what could be better? I myself don’t remember ever eating one, but I know my cousin liked them. The kids I cook for love bacon and love any kind of sausage.I was brainstorming some recipes for “Tough Day” dinners, days we have very little time to cook, that they would like, and I thought about this Francheezie. I tested it out and timed myself and I came up with a recipe that took about 15 minutes and is so delicious that even a grown up would find it delicious.

Here are the few simple ingredients you will need:

• One Package of Hot Dogs, I prefer the Vienna Hot Dogs From Aldi or Oscar Meyer 
• 8 Slices of thick Cut Bacon
• 1 C Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
• 8 Hot Dog Buns
• 2 T of Brown Sugar
• 2 T of Maple Syrup
• 1 t of Chili Powder
• 1 t of Garlic Powder
• Fresh Black Pepper to Taste
• 1 T of Olive Oil
• 2 to 4 T of Green Onions, Sliced Thin

The steps are super easy as well:

1. Wrap each hot dog in a slice of bacon. I start from one end and roll tightly on an angle.
2. Place the hot dogs on a plate and brush the maple syrup onto the hot dogs.
3. Next, sprinkle each dog with the brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder and black pepper. I used my finger to press it into the bacon a bit.
4. Next I heated my grill on high for about five minutes and reduced the heat to medium. You then grill your dogs, turning often to make sure the bacon isn’t burning. You can also move the hot dogs to a spot on the grill that doesn’t have direct heat.
5. Meanwhile, brush your buns on the inside and out with olive oil. Then place on the grill to toast.
6. When the dogs are almost done cooking and you have turned on all sides, turn OFF the grill, place the shredded cheese into the buns, then the hot dogs, close the lid and let the cheese melt.

That is all it takes folks, you’re done! I topped my dogs with the sliced green onions but you have many options. A great sweet relish or a grainy mustard would go great with these dogs. They are also delicious just on their own. This is a just a great quick dinner for those busy days!

The kids will love this dish and they also make a great party dish for grown ups! I purchased all my ingredients at Aldi for about $10. So this is also an affordable dinner!

These can also be baked in the oven for about 15 minutes on 350 degrees, if you don’t have or want to use a grill.

Enjoy!

For another “Tough Day” Dinner try my Sweet Corn and Arugula Alfredo