My husband and I both work for companies that have offices in Denver and have made a few work trips out there together. On one of those trips we found Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs, a restaurant that sells a unique variety of locally made brats/hot dogs. Many of them are made with wild game like their Alaskan Reindeer or the Elk Jalapeno Cheddar, which you know are right up our alley. The best part though is their classic topping – which is cream cheese and caramelized onion. The sweet flavor of the onion and the creaminess from the cream cheese took the dogs right over the edge. We had to try recreating them as soon as we got home.
Here’s what you need:
You can use any type of hot dog or brat you like, we’ve been on a kick for old fashioned hot dogs that have the characteristic snap of the casing when you bite in.
You’re going to want to start by caramelizing the onions because to do it right it takes about a half hour. Slice your onion and place in a nonstick skillet with a little oil. Cover and cook over medium low heat for about 20 minutes. Shake the pan to move the onions around or take the cover off and stir but you want to keep the steam to help soften and cook the onions. After the onions are soft take the cover off and they should begin to brown and caramelize. Low and slow is the best way to get prefect caramelized onions. Look at how much this large onion reduced to.
During the last few minutes of cooking the onion, start your grill for the hotdogs. I like to cook the hot dogs over indirect heat until they are hot inside and then move them over direct heat to get the skin crisp and a little blackened. We also grilled the buns.
Place some softened cream cheese in a sandwich bag and cut the tip off. Now put the hot dogs together by topping with caramelized onions and a squeeze of cream cheese.
As an alternative, we’ve mixed the cream cheese into the finished onions. This method will blend the cream cheese into the onions more than having the two separate. Both are good and it’s hard to pick a favorite.
We’ve also spiced up the cream cheese with jalapeno and cheddar cheese on occasion. It’s essentially a blank canvas for whatever flavor you feel like.
- Cream cheese
- 1 large sweet onion
- 1 T olive oil
- Old fashioned hot dogs
- Buns
- Set the cream cheese on your counter to soften.
- Slice the onion. Add the oil and onions to a 10 inch nonstick skillet, cover and heat over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes until soft and transparent, stirring periodically. Then take the cover off and allow to brown and caramelize.
- As the onions are finishing, heat the grill with an area of direct and indirect heat. Start the hotdogs over indirect heat until they are warm inside. Move them over to the direct heat to allow the skin to get crisp and charred to your liking. Toast the hot dog buns.
- Place the cream cheese in a sandwich bag and snip off the tip. Put a hotdog in each bun. Top with caramelized onion and cream cheese.
You forgot to add coca cola to the onions,big difference