Ultimate Bacon Sausage Dogs

Here's my first instructable on my grilled bacon wrapped sausage. The key here is to NOT use hot dogs and hot dog buns, but bratwurst and kielbasa on hoagie rolls. Top with sauteed onions and peppers for a real hot dog.

The following people may want to stay away: Vegans, health food nuts, or anyone with high BP or cholesterol. The rest of you may enjoy.

Start off by collecting the following ingredients. The Hillshire Farm's sausage was on sale for 4th of July weekend so i bought those. I particularity like the non precooked Jonsonville brats and Italian sausage. They are juicier and fatter than the Hillshires, but they don't go on sale too often. Of the Hillshire Farm sausages, I like the flavor of the Hot Links. If you don't like spicy food, the Brats are a good choice.

1-2 Maui onions (or any large sweet onions)
1 Package of sausage (bratwurst, hot links and kielbasaish beef sausage used here)
1 Package of thick cut bacon
1 Stick of butter
1 Bag of hoagie rolls (If the bread isn't good enough to eat on its own, it is sub par for any type of sandwich or burger)
1 Handful of wood to use as smoke. I used mesquite (soaked in water beforehand)
Several peppers of your choice (I used home grown Scotch Bonnets, Naga Jolokias and Chihuacle Negros)

Take a big chunk of butter and toss it in the pan, and dice up the onions.

Take your soaked wood and add to the fire. I have these steel trays I use to hold the chips on my propane grill. If you use charcoal you can wrap the chips in foil and make a little chimney for the smoke. You could even throw the chips straight on the charcoal too, but they don't last long. So do it just before putting the food on.

Slice the hoagie rolls and butter them up. Try to keep the rolls connected in the middle. It doesn't matter too much if they split because they usually fall apart while eating anyway.

Throw the sausage on the grill. These particular ones are precooked so just make them golden brown and delicious. When they're done, remove from the grill and proceed to bacon wrapping stage.

Wrap the sausage with a slice of bacon, feel free to use 2 if you wish. I did for mine. Overlap the bacon so it doesn't come undone, and when you reach the end stab it with a toothpick to keep the end in. You could also tuck it in if you so desire.

Warning: Your grill WILL catch fire

Toss the sausage back on the grill to cook the bacon on low heat. Do not close the lid and walk away! Step away for a minute and you will find a roaring fire and burnt bacon. Not a happy day. Rotate the sausage every few minutes to cook the bacon all around.

When the sausage is almost done, toss the rolls on for toasting. Turn that side of the grill up to medium, and don't LET IT BURN!

If you wish, dice up a pepper. The following is a Chihuacle Negro that i grew, but any store bought will work. Scrape out the seeds and toss it on the grill for a few minutes. When its done, roll it up and cut it into strips. Smaller peppers may fall through, so you might not want to grill those.

By now your onions should be done and remove them from heat. They should be semi transparent and very buttery.

When the roll gets all toasty remove them from the grill, and proceed to the eating stage.

Toss a sausage or 2 on the toasted bun and cover with onions. Add a few peppers if you wish, and enjoy!

Sometimes I add one bacon wrapped sausage and a piece of kielbasa sliced down the middle. Yummm. Today I felt like 2 bacon wrapped hotlinks. I stick to just onions for my topping. Save the ketchup for plain hot dogs. Sauteed mushrooms is also an acceptable topping.