The Cheesy Hot Dog Hack To Win Your 4th Of July Party

You probably love both grilled cheese and hot dogs, so why not combine two classic comfort dishes into one supremely cheesy handheld that will absolutely bowl over your friends and family this Fourth of July? Hot dogs are mandatory eats at any summer party worth attending, and yours will have the group chat buzzing until Labor Day. Best of all, these OTT 'dogs don't take up precious space on your grill (save that grate real estate for burgers, chicken, and steaks!) and can be whipped up in your air fryer. Basically, you wrap a precooked hot dog in a bun absolutely stuffed with American cheese, then stick it in the air fryer for a few short minutes. The hot dog that emerges is golden, toasty, and absolutely gooey with molten cheese.

While microwaving hot dogs is a mistake, air fryer franks are nothing short of a great idea. Just a brief trip through your air fryer delivers hot dogs with perfect exterior snap and luscious interior juiciness. Enrobing these sausages in cheese makes a finished product that is so ridiculously good that we wonder why nobody thought of it sooner. Perhaps the best part of these grilled cheese hot dogs is that you can customize them quite a bit, changing up almost every component to suit your tastes or the ingredients you have already gathered for your big Independence Day blowout.

To assemble your hot dogs, first cook your meat for three minutes in the air fryer at 400 degrees. Then, grab your bread. A hot dog bun is the default, obviously, but take a peek at our list of the best breads for grilled cheese. Ultimately, if you can feasibly wrap it around a hot dog, it's doable! Slather your bread or bun generously on both sides with mayo, which provides crispiness and tangy umami flavor. Then, take your American cheese slices (or any other sliced cheese your heart might desire) and layer them generously on the bread or bun. 

Next, place your cooked hot dog in the middle of your bread and wrap it up. You may want to use a toothpick or two to help keep the package closed, especially if it's very thick and you used a slice of bread instead of a hot dog bun. Pop the complete assembly back in the air fryer for around four minutes. Your time will vary based on your particular air fryer, how toasted you want the hot dogs to be, your unique assemblage of ingredients, and how many you are cooking at a time. Whatever the specifics, keep in mind that you don't want them touching, given that overcrowding is the biggest air fryer mistake regardless of what's inside. The finished hot dogs will wow your party guests and, most importantly, taste indulgently delicious.