Sizzle This Summer
Every Get-Together is a Homerun with Ball Park
July 2024 Issue
by Lindsay Gifford
Recipes, Information and Photography Courtesy of Ball Park®
As July’s steamy days and breezy nights lure us outside to enjoy all the Lowcountry has to offer, there’s nothing better than pouring a cold one and lighting the grill for a delicious dinner. Whether you’re hosting an Independence Day celebration, a get-together with friends or looking for a fun (and easy) meal for the family…Ball Park® is ready to help you knock it out the park!
Literally born at the ballpark, Tiger Stadium in Detroit to be specific, Hygrade Food Products, a meat-packing company in Livonia, Michigan, won a competition to be the exclusive supplier of hotdogs to the Detroit Tigers and Tiger Stadium. The dogs were a homerun, as fans immediately flipped for the new juicy franks and demand boomed. Soon fans wanted to bring the flavorful franks from the ballpark home. By 1959, they were officially dubbed Ball Park® franks and available at grocers throughout Detroit. Within 10 years, the company vaulted to national distribution, and now they are the most consumed hot dog in America with more than 100-million consumers annually.
These days, Ball Park® is loading your grill with more than just hot dogs; they offer fully-cooked, flame-grilled beef patties, as well as hot dog and hamburger buns. A top-shelf icon of summer, Ball Park® offers a wide selection of grill-worthy franks, including beef, classic, turkey, prime beef, angus beef, as well as grill-master, bun-size and lean options. As long as bats are still swinging and grills are still sizzling, Ball Park® promises to keep bringing summer to the table—even in the offseason.
This month we’re redefining the dog days of summer! It’s time to throw on your flip-flops, grab some hot dogs and head outside. Whether you’re ready to get creative with some fabulous combos (we’ve got inspo!), play some corn hole while the smell of dogs on the grill fills the air, or just rib Dad a little about not burning the meat, if Ball Park® is on the menu, fun is sure to follow!
Here’s an idea to teach an old dog some new tricks: Make your own “Ball Park-uterie” board! Fill the board up with Ball Park® franks—both whole and cut bite-sized pieces— and add your favorite yummy condiments.
Let’s be frank, grilling seems simple, but it can be intimidating. But don’t worry, Ball Park® has you covered there, too. Visit www.ballpark.com for plenty of tips from grill-side behavior to what to wear, delicious recipes and so much more. Batter up! The next play is to turn the page for sizzling summer recipes and hit a homerun!
How to Prep Your Dog:
Grill: Over medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Rotate while cooking.
Boil: Bring 2/3 cup water to a boil. Add franks.
Cover and simmer for 6-8 minutes.
Microwave: Wrap frank in a paper towel. Place on plate.
Heat on high for 30-35 seconds.
Steam: Put frank in colander above boiling water until meat reaches 165°.
How to Prep Your Patty:
Grill: Warm frozen patty over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until hot, turning occasionally. For refrigerated patty, reduce time to 3-4 minutes.
Skillet: Warm frozen patty over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until hot, turning occasionally. For refrigerated patty, reduce time to 4-5 minutes.
Microwave: For frozen patty, microwave on high for 65-75 seconds or until hot. For refrigerated patty, reduce time to 30-40 seconds. Let stand 1 minute before eating.
NOW, LET'S GET TOPPIN'
Caramelized Onion Hot Dog
When your favorite Ball Park® hot dogs team up with caramelized onions
and Havarti cheese, the result is one delicious masterpiece.
Prep Time: 20 mins | Total Time: 28 mins | Serves: 8
1 (15 oz) pack Ball Park® Beef Hot Dogs
1 (13 oz) pack Ball Park® Hot Dog Buns
1 yellow Onion, thinly sliced
4 slices Havarti cheese, cut in half
1 Tbsp fresh Thyme, chopped
Prepare your Ball Park® Franks as directed. Heat a well-oiled skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sliced onions until tender. Add small amounts of water as you go so they don’t burn. Place the hot dogs in the buns. Layer on the caramelized onions and cheese. Finish with a sprinkle of thyme.
Chef’s Tip: For a fast solution for caramelized onions, look for sautéed or caramelized onions in your grocery store’s freezer section.
Whiskey Onions & Mushroom Burger
Mushrooms, provolone, whiskey glazed onions. This is the classic mushroom and onion burger, with a little something extra.
Prep Time: 20 mins | Total Time: 25 mins | Serves: 4
2 Tbsps Vegetable oil 
4 Ball Park® Flame Grilled Fully-Cooked Beef Patties
1 cup Onions, diced
4 Ball Park® Hamburger Buns, toasted
1/2 cup Whiskey
1/4 cup Garlic mayonnaise
4 slices Provolone cheese
1 cup Mushrooms, sliced
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions until browning begins, then carefully stir in the whiskey. Reduce to a glaze. Remove from skillet and keep it warm. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sliced mushrooms until browning begins. Meanwhile, prepare beef patties as directed. Pile the burger patties onto the buns. Pour on the onions and mushrooms before placing the provolone on top. Smear some of that garlic mayo on the top bun, and eat up!
Sweet & Spicy Hot Dog
Say aloha to summer with a little spicy sweetness.
Your favorite Ball Park® hot dogs in Hawaiian-style rolls
topped with pineapple pepper relish, blue cheese and bacon.
Prep Time: 10 mins | Total Time: 18 mins | Serves: 8
1 (15 oz) pack Ball Park® Classic Hot Dogs
1 (13.5 oz) pack Hawaiian-style hot dog buns
8 slices cooked Bacon
1/2 cup Pineapple and pepper jelly or relish
1/4 cup crumbled Blue cheese
Prepare your Ball Park® Franks as directed. Put the hot dogs in the buns. Layer ‘em up with bacon, jelly and blue cheese, and chow down!
Late Summer Dog
Crisp bacon, grilled peaches, grape tomatoes and crumbled goat cheese let you savor the dog days no matter what the weather forecast says.
Prep Time: 15 mins | Total Time: 23 mins | Serves: 8
1 (15 oz) pack Ball Park® Beef Hot Dogs
1 (13 oz) pack Ball Park® hot dog buns
1 Peach, sliced
8 slices cooked Bacon
8 oz Grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup crumbled Goat cheese
Prepare your Ball Park® franks as directed on the grill then set aside. Grill the peach slices over high heat. Look for a golden color on all sides. It takes about 30 seconds per side. Nestle the hot dogs and bacon into the buns. Top with peaches, tomatoes and crumble on the goat cheese before you dig in.
Breakfast Dog
Covered with crisp bacon, fried potato hash and a cheese-topped egg,
this dog is perfect for breakfast, brunch or brinner!
Prep Time: 15 mins | Total Time: 23 mins | Serves: 8
1 (15 oz) pack Ball Park® Beef Hot Dogs
1 (14 oz) pack split-top Hot dog buns
1 cup frozen or refrigerated shredded Hash brown potatoes
8 strips cooked Bacon
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
8 Eggs, fried
Prepare your Ball Park® Franks as directed. Heat a well-oiled skillet over medium-high, spread hasbrowns into single layer and cover with a lid. Cook about 7 minutes, then turn potatoes and reduce heat to medium. Then sizzle up the hash browns until they’re golden brown and crispy, about 5 more minutes. Nestle the hot dogs and bacon in the buns. Top them with potatoes, cheese, and fried egg.
Blue & Bacon Burger
You can add crumbly blue cheese and crispy bacon to almost anything and it will be good. But when you put it on a juicy burger patty, well, we don’t want to spoil it …
Prep Time: 5 mins | Total Time: 10 mins | Serves: 4
1/4 cup crumbled Blue cheese 
4 slices cooked Bacon
1 head Bibb lettuce
1 small red Onion, sliced into rings
1 Tomato, sliced
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
4 Ball Park® Flame Grilled Fully-Cooked Beef Patties
4 Ball Park® hamburger buns, toasted
Prepare beef patties as directed. Layer the patties on the buns and top with blue cheese, bacon, lettuce, onion, and tomato.
Chef’s Tip: You can ditch the bun and serve this bad boy as a lettuce wrap or salad-style over a bed of spring mix!
Chicago Dog
Load up the toppings for an authentic taste of the Windy City.
But sorry, ketchup is not welcome here. This is non-negotiable.
Prep Time: 5 mins | Total Time: 13 mins | Serves: 8
1 (15 oz) pack Ball Park® Bun Size Classic Hot Dogs
1 (13 oz) pack Ball Park® Hot Dog Buns
Toppings:
Green relish
Raw onions, chopped
Fresh tomato, sliced
Pickle spears
Celery salt, to taste
Sport peppers (hot peppers)
Yellow mustard
Prepare your Ball Park® Franks as directed. Put the hot dogs in the buns and place tomato slices and a pickle spear between the dog and the bun. Then, load them up with relish, yellow mustard, onions, sport peppers and celery salt.
Fried Pickle & Cheese Burger
Here’s a pickle you’ll want to get yourself into: the fried kind. That’s right—these crunchy little guys give your burger a tangy little flair. Believe the hype! We can’t get enough.
Prep Time: 15 mins | Total Time: 30 mins | Serves: 4
4 Ball Park® Flame Grilled Fully-Cooked Beef Patties
4 Ball Park® Hamburger Buns, toasted
1/4 cup Chipotle mayonnaise
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 (11 oz) pack frozen Fried pickles
Green leaf lettuce
Prep frozen pickles so they’re nice and crispy. Prepare beef patties as directed. Put it all together: place burgers on the buns and then layer on the cheese, fried pickles and lettuce. Spread chipotle mayo on the top bun, and get ready to fall in love.
Get Your Grill On:
Select Your Source:
Charcoal and gas grills are both great.
But either way, make sure you preheat that bad boy.
Flat & Functional:
Burger patties get rounded tops as they cook. Make a little indent in the middle of your patties to keep ‘em nice and flat and perfect for topping.
Sticky Situation:
Food sticks to a dirty grill, so make sure your grate is glistening.
If you’re still stuck, brush on a little olive oil.
High Heat, Better Meat:
Get your grill roaring (about 500°F, or until charcoal is covered with a thin coat of ash). That’ll give you the tasty sear and crisp grill marks everybody loves.
Location, Location, Location:
When it comes to hot dogs, you can sweat ‘em slowly around the outside of the grill, or char ‘em up over direct flame. Whatever pleases the crowd.
Burn Control:
If you’re using a small grill for a tailgate or campout, watch the temp.
These puppies heat up quick!
Tex-Mex Burger
No burger is boring. But a little south-of-the-border flavor is always a good thing to bring to the table. Or should we say la mesa?
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Serves: 4
4 Ball Park® Flame Grilled Fully-Cooked Beef Patties
4 Ball Park® hamburger buns, toasted
2 Tbsps Salsa verde
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1 Avocado, sliced
1/4 cup Roasted red bell peppers
4 slices Pepper jack cheese
Green leaf lettuce
Prepare beef patties as directed. Whisk together the salsa verde and mayo. Spread some of that on the buns. Build your masterpiece by putting the burgers on the buns and piling on the red peppers, avocado, cheese and lettuce. Eat up, amigo!
Chef’s Tip: Punch up the freshness by losing the bun and serving over a bed of spring mix, or wrap it up in lettuce!
Greek-style Spinach & Onion Burger
Whether you’re soaking up the sunshine, or just dreaming about it, this recipe
featuring spinach, feta and balsamic-glazed onions will sweep you away to the Mediterranean.
Prep Time: 15 mins | Total Time: 30 mins | Serves: 4
4 Ball Park® Flame Grilled Fully-Cooked 
Beef Patties
4 Ball Park® hamburger buns
1/2 sweet Onion, diced
2 Tbsps Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese
1/2 cup fresh Spinach, packed
1 Tomato, sliced
Heat a well-oiled skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onions until browning begins. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and reduce to a glaze.
Meanwhile, prep the beef patties as directed. Place the patties on the buns and layer with onions, feta, spinach and tomato.
Chef’s Tip: Want to freshen things up a bit? Forget the bun and serve it as a salad over a bed of spring mix.
Jalapeño & Cheese Biscuit Wrapped Dog
Have a hankering for a different kind of hot dog? Whip up a batch
of these cheesy baked biscuit dogs. Sometimes change is good.
Prep Time: 15 mins | Total Time: 35 mins | Serves: 8
1 (15 oz) pack Ball Park® Beef Hot Dogs
1 (1 lb.) can refrigerated Biscuit dough
2 Jalapenos, sliced
1 cup White cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375°F. On a greased baking pan, stretch out the biscuit dough to the length of the hot dog. Divide the jalapenos and white cheddar cheese in the center of the dough and place the dogs on top. Stretch the dough around each hot dog and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes, and chow down!