The hot dog occupies a unique place in American cuisine, playing a central role in our very conception of summer. Hot dogs are found at Little League games and backyard cookouts, county fairs and Fourth of July picnics. They’ve been sold from pushcarts on city streets, grilled in suburban cul-de-sacs, and eaten in the stands at ballparks for more than a century. 

Though often thought of as quintessentially American, the hot dog’s roots stretch back to the sausages brought to the United States by German immigrants in the 19th century. Early frankfurters were typically made from pork or a blend of pork and beef, while all-beef versions became popular through Jewish delicatessens and hot dog stands, particularly in New York. Over time, regional styles emerged, brands rose and fell, and the humble hot dog became a cultural icon. Americans now consume billions of them every year, yet most of us give surprisingly little thought to which hot dogs actually taste the best.

That seemed like a problem worth solving.

Methodology

The number of hot dog options available at the grocery store was almost overwhelming. Even among brands, there were often 5+ varieties to choose from. “Original” vs. all beef, regular length vs. bun length, no extra flavors vs. chili cheese. Surprisingly to me, many of today’s options — especially the budget dogs — actually list chicken and/or turkey as the main ingredients. (Spoiler: none of these were at the top of the rankings.) 

I grabbed an assortment and ended up taste testing eight different nationally available hot dogs over the course of a couple different cookouts with friends. (My family may need a year to recover before we eat hot dogs again.) 

If you’re in the Upper Midwest, Schweigert makes a great dog.

We also tested a few locally made hot dogs to see how they would stack up; two of them weren’t that good, but one would indeed have cracked the top three. That is to say: it’s very possible, but not a guarantee, that your local/regional hot dog brand is your best option. Do some testing of your own to be sure. 

Our groups blind-tested each dog — I knew where each was on the grill, then cut them into quarters for tasting. The scoring rubric was not scientific, but we generally looked for overall taste (saltiness, savoriness, meatiness, etc.) and texture (Did it have some snap? Was it mushy?). Our first tastes of each were without buns or condiments, except a bit of ketchup. 

With testing so many dogs, I wasn’t sure if the differences would be very noticeable. Would I remember the first one after testing ten more? Turns out, outside of a couple bland and unmemorable options, most were distinct enough to be able to tell the difference and form a fairly clear opinion on. 

Without further ado, below are the results. You’ll first find quick reviews of the five dogs that didn’t make it to the winners’ circle, followed by our top three picks.

The Rest of the Field

Hebrew National 

Hebrew National is best known for being a kosher hot dog (though its actual kosher merits, as of late, are debated within Jewish circles). As such, their frankfurters only contain beef and have no fillers or artificial flavors. They also use a unique spice blend that gives the hot dogs a distinct, almost peppery flavor. The flavor stood out from the crowd in our taste testing, but in a way that put it more in the middle of the pack rather than at the top. And the kids didn’t care for them much. They were fine overall, but I doubt I’ll be buying them again. 

Sugardale 

None of the adults in the taste test were impressed with the cheapest hot dog in the mix. Sugardale’s 8-pack of dogs is just $1.99, and it showed. The taste was bland and the texture was no different. Interestingly, though, all the kids enjoyed the Sugardales; the blandness might be a plus for the younger set. 

Sugardale’s offering also had the distinction of being the worst-looking cooked product. It was the only hot dog that plumped too much and split, only to then shrivel and even separate from the casing a bit. Not appetizing. That said, if you’re buying just for kids, it may not be a bad option. 

Nathan’s Famous 

As the company that puts on the world’s foremost hot dog eating contest, you’d think they’d have some of the best dogs around. Plus they were one of the first to tout an all-beef wiener. The taste was indeed good — in the top half, for sure. But they were some of the smallest and skinniest links — better for eating in huge quantities, I guess. It would take 2–3 dogs to fill anyone up, which isn’t ideal. 

Oscar Mayer Classic 

Despite being one of the most recognizable brands in the world of processed meats, my expectations for Oscar Mayer’s classic dogs were rather low. And accurate, as it turns out. The texture was too squishy — you want the hot dog to have some snap and bite to it — and the flavor was basically non-existent. It didn’t taste like anything. Overall, it was just a bland, squishy tube of meat paste. Nobody wants that. If you’re buying Oscar Mayer hot dogs, definitely go with the all-beef variety (see below). 

Bar S 

Like Oscar Mayer, Bar S is another bestselling budget hot dog. The flavor was meh, the texture was mediocre, and this hot dog was totally unmemorable from start to finish. As I write this a week or two after testing, I have no sense of what this hot dog tasted like. With the other dogs on this list, I can pretty well remember the overall experience, but Bar S is just a blank screen. I can’t in good faith recommend this hot dog, especially with so many other better options on the table. 

The Top Three Dogs

Though there were some general differences in opinion between 6 adult testers and 8 kid testers (ages 5–11), the three hot dogs below were universally well-regarded. The adults definitely preferred the all-beef options, while the kids were a little less picky overall. 

Oscar Mayer Jumbo Beef

After the original Oscar Mayer was a disappointment, nobody in our taste test focus groups expected much out of OM’s all-beef version. To our pleasant surprise, it tasted like a completely different product — in the best way. The flavor was very good and the texture was just right, with a little bit of snap and no mushiness. An all-around great hot dog for all ages!  

Kirkland 

If you’re familiar with them, Costco’s hot dogs have a very distinct flavor. And they’re delicious. Even in a blind taste test, I could pick this one out pretty easily. The Kirkland all-beef dogs that you buy in the refrigerated section are the same ones that you get in the food court for $1.50. (If it tastes different at home, it’s because of the cooking method.) It was also one of the larger hot dogs we tested, which can make a big difference, especially when feeding adults. You can’t go wrong with Kirkland. 

Ball Park Angus 

Every adult in our taste test had some kind of long-held expectation of what a hot dog should taste like. Whether it came from childhood or college cookouts on the quad, it was there. Turns out, that Platonic ideal of a hot dog is a Ball Park. Created in the ‘50s for the Detroit Tigers, this plump, juicy, all-beef hot dog is the bestselling frankfurter in America — and for good reason. Before our taste test, it had been a long time since I had tried a Ball Park, but it will be my go-to from now on. It tastes exactly how a hot dog should taste, which is perhaps the highest compliment I can give. 

__________

If the above reviews make it seem like I’m now a hot dog snob, rest assured that I’m indeed not. If there’s a cookout with hot dogs, I can pretty much guarantee I’ll eat one, even if it’s one of the bottom brands on this list. It’s not like anyone is digging through the trash to look at what brand is available or commenting on the particulars of a frankfurter’s flavor profile. Ultimately, hot dogs are more about the setting than anything else. 

Plus, there are plenty of folks who argue that a hot dog is but a meaty vessel for condiments and toppings galore. If you need some ideas, check out our guide to 8 of the most popular regional hot dog styles.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

Burgers are my favorite food. What’s not to like about them? They’re tasty, filling, and — if you load them up with toppings like tomato, lettuce, and onion — offer a fairly nutritious mix of protein, carbs, and veggies.

​What I also like about the humble hamburger is exploring its many regional variations. New Mexico’s green chili burger? Fantastico. Minnesota’s Juicy Lucy? Amazing. Utah’s pastrami burger? Brother, I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a pastrami hamburger today.

​But my absolute favorite regional burger hails from my own home state: the Oklahoma fried onion burger.

​Boy, I love this burger. Its beauty is its simplicity. It’s basically a smash burger with onions in it. Just two thin patties, with fried, caramelized onion, cheese, and a bun. Hot diggity burger, it’s tasty.

The History of the Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger

​There’s some debate about how the fried onion burger was born, but the general story is that it originated back in the 1920s, in a small town west of OKC on Route 66 called El Reno.

A father and son duo named Homer and Ross Davis had a place there called the Hamburger Inn. As beef was expensive, the Davises kept the price of their burgers down by reducing the meat portion of the patty and smashing thin-sliced onions into it. The result was a cheaper burger that still gave diners a meal that felt like it had some substance.

When the Great Depression hit, this cost-saving measure became even more appreciated, and what was dubbed the “Depression burger” really took off.

The name may have been a little unappetizing, but the concoction was decidedly tasty.

​While the original purpose of smashing onions into the burger was to stretch the meat out, the unintended consequence was that it added layers of deliciousness. When you smash those onions into a screaming-hot flattop grill, the edges caramelize and crisp, and the patty drinks up all that sweetness from the onion.

​The Oklahoma fried onion burger was a hit with patrons, and soon other places in El Reno started making them. Many of these establishments are still in business. Robert’s Grill has been flipping onion burgers in El Reno since 1926, Johnnie’s joined in the ’40s, and Sid’s Diner opened in 1989 and was featured on that spiky-haired culinary madman Guy Fieri’s show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

Last summer, our family made a road trip to eat an onion burger at Sid’s (and see the town where Twisters was filmed). The burger was okay. Solid. I enjoyed it. I always enjoy a burger. But I wouldn’t make the 2-hour drive to El Reno from Tulsa to eat it again.

You can find other onion burger joints around Oklahoma. Tucker’s is one of them. This OKC-based chain has a location in Tulsa, and puts out a legitimately tasty onion burger. They’ve got this big ol’ boy of a burger called the “Mother Tucker,” which has three patties. It weighs over a pound, and it’s an experience, my friend.

Recently, though, instead of outsourcing my fried onion burger consumption to dining establishments, I decided to try making them at home.

Friday night had long been Burger Night in the McKay household, and I’d make your standard backyard grilled burgers on my pellet smoker. Always enjoyable.

​But a couple of months ago, I had the hankering for an onion burger, but didn’t want to eat out. So I slapped a griddle we had into the smoker and got it scorching hot. While the griddle heated up, I sliced some sweet onions really thin and created some balls of 80/20 ground beef. Once the griddle was hot, I got to work. As quick as you can say “Jack Robinson,” I had fried onion burgers plated for my family.

​Reader, the family’s review of them was unanimous: amazing. Better than our usual burgers. Better than famous Sid’s in El Reno. Still not as good as Tucker’s — game respects game — but a worthy at-home substitute.

​The Oklahoma fried onion burger has become the McKay household’s go-to burger.

​Today, I’m going to explain how you, too, can make them this Friday. Even if you’ve never visited the Panhandle State, you’ll probably never go back to another way of making homemade burgers again.

How to Make an Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger

What You Need

​A griddle or cast-iron skillet. To make these onion burgers, you need a flat-top surface that can get really, really hot in order to give those burgers a nice crispy brown crust and those onions that delicious caramelization. If you’ve got a Blackstone griddle like many American suburban men do these days, you’re locked and loaded to easily make grilled onion burgers. If you don’t have one, you can buy a cast-iron griddle for your grill. If you don’t have a grill, you can cook them up in a cast-iron skillet on your stove — but realize that it’s going to get really smoky in your house; these burgers are best cooked outside.

​Heavy-duty spatula. You’re going to be smashing your burgers flat, and to do so, you need a heavy-duty spatula — something thick, wide, and made with stainless steel. A nice metal spatula will also help you flip the burgers while retaining the delicious brown crust that will form underneath.

​Mandoline slicer. You’ll use this to slice your onions super thin. You need your onions as thin as possible so they cook quickly.

Ingredients

• 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef. 80/20 has the ideal meat/fat ratio for hamburgers. But grocery stores sometimes only have 85/15. We’ve done that before, and it still works.
• Two large sweet onions. You want sweet onions for your grilled onion burger. And get two large onions. We’re going to be generous with our onion portions.
• Oil
• Salt
• Sliced cheese. American cheese is classic — extra salty and melty.
• Buns. You can never go wrong with a plain ol’ white bun. But if you want to kick your onion burger up a notch, opt for a potato bun.

Directions

Get Your Griddle Hot

You want your griddle scorching hot so you can get that nice crust on your meat, and so that the onions cook quickly. Shoot for a temp between 375 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slice Onions — Thin!

Use your mandoline to slice your onions as thin as you can.

Make 3-Ounce Burger Balls

Each hamburger has two 3-ounce patties. Each assembled burger takes two patties, so if you’re serving 4 people, you’ll need eight 3-ounce balls.

Get All Your Supplies Locked and Loaded

Make sure you have all your supplies ready and at hand before you begin cooking; things will move quickly once the process begins.

Hit the Griddle With Some Oil

Place Burger Balls on the Griddle and Salt

Throw a Fistful of Onions on the Burger Balls​

Err on the side of more. You want lots of onions because the onions are going to shrivel and render while they cook.

Smash Down the Meat and Onion With Your Spatula

Press very firmly, until the burger is about as thin as it’ll go.

Let Burgers Cook for 90 Seconds to 2 Minutes

You’re going to get a nice browning of the meat that’s griddle side, while the onions render down into the meat from above. Once you see liquid form on top of the patties and the onions look like they’re starting caramelize, they’re ready to flip. Usually happens in about 90 seconds to 2 minutes.

Flip Burgers

Place a Slice of Cheese on Each of the Burgers Immediately After Flipping​

These are the makings of 4 burgers, which will take two patties each. Put cheese on all the patties.

Place Buns on Top of Cheese

Stack the buns on top of your burger, putting the bottoms on one patty and the tops on the other. Let the buns sit there while the other side of the burger cooks. This will steam the buns and make them nice and soft, as well as give them a savory flavor. Let the other side of the meat cook for about another minute or so.

Sandwich the Meat, Onions, and Cheese Between the Buns

Gather as many of the fried onions as you can and place them on the patties. Stack the top bun+patty+onions+cheese layer on top of the bottom bun+patty+onions+cheese layer, sandwiching all that gooey goodness between your two bun halves.

If you’re making burgers for a larger crowd, put the already cooked and assembled burgers in an oven set to warm, and get the next batch of burgers going on the griddle.​

​

You can eat these fried onion burgers as is, but if you’d like to garnish them in the Okie style, keep it simple. Mustard and pickles only.

Enjoy! Once you try these, all other burgers will pale in comparison.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

In the last decade, the emerging science of gut health has made fermented foods wildly popular. Kombucha, kimchi, sourdough breads, some cheeses and pickles, and, of course, yogurt. 

After years of buying big tubs of Greek yogurt, I discovered that it was actually pretty easy to make your own yogurt at home. It admittedly felt a little out there at first. Was I really going to be someone who made their own yogurt? Our household was not a 19th century homestead, after all. But after just a couple of batches, the taste and affordability, combined with how easy it is in terms of active time, convinced me (and my wife and kids) that we didn’t need to buy yogurt at the store at all anymore. 

Why Make Homemade Yogurt?

1) Yogurt is loaded with protein, beneficial bacteria, and key nutrients like calcium and B vitamins. Yogurt is a surprisingly high-protein food — about 15–20 grams per cup — that actually keeps you full. Just as important is its impact on gut health: yogurt contains live cultures (probiotics) that help support digestion and a healthy microbiome. While the nutrition is similar to store-bought yogurt, the homemade stuff skips the artificial additives and stabilizers found in most grocery store options and often retains more active cultures.

2) Homemade yogurt has better flavor and texture. Homemade goods almost always taste better. This one is no exception. The flavor is richer and tangier, just how Greek yogurt should be. Additionally, store-bought yogurt is pretty watery (it’s actually whey) and can have an uneven texture. Homemade stuff is very smooth and creamy, and much less liquidy if you drain it. 

3) Homemade yogurt is cheaper. You can make about 100 oz of homemade yogurt for the cost of a gallon of milk ($3-$5). Buying the same amount of yogurt would be between $15 (at a discount warehouse like Costco) and $30 (at a local grocery store). 

The Cookware You Need to Make Yogurt

I like to make yogurt in an instant pot. It will need to be fermented at a constant temperature for hours and the instant pot makes the process a breeze. 

But it’s not that much harder if you don’t have one — simply get yourself a kitchen heating pad and you’ll be set. You’ll follow the same steps outlined below for heating and cooling the milk, adding the starter, and keeping it at ~110° for 8-24 hours. Instead of using the instant pot, you’ll just use the heating pad instead. 

The most important thing is that you get a heating pad that can be set to relatively low temps for long periods of time. Most of the top Amazon results are for high-temp warming pads for parties and whatnot, which automatically shut off after a few hours. That’s not what you want. 

How to Make Homemade Yogurt With an Instant Pot 

Ingredients 

• 1 gallon whole milk 
  • You can make yogurt with milk of any fat percentage, but the lower you go, the thinner the final product will be. For this reason, I’ve always used whole milk. You can also make yogurt with lactose-free milk or non-dairy milks, but those often require extra steps and ingredients (like thickeners). 
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup yogurt “starter” 
  • You can buy yogurt starters online, but you can also just use plain Greek yogurt from the grocery store (that’s what I’ve done). Once you get a regular process going, you’ll just use yogurt from your previous batch to “feed” the next one. 

Directions

1. Heat milk to 180°. 

While the instant pot can heat the milk to 180° with the “Yogurt” or even “Saute” setting, I prefer to heat it in a large pot on the stove. Heating it in the instant pot takes longer, and I like having a separate vessel for cooling, rather than doing it all in one pot. It really comes down to individual preference though. I simply pour the gallon of milk into a large soup pot, heat it on “High” on the stovetop, and wait ~18 minutes for it to reach 180°. Your stove time may vary (our gas range is pretty hot), and it’s best to check every couple minutes after 15 minutes or so; if you ignore it too long and let it boil over, it makes a huge mess (yes, I know from experience).  

You want it frothy, but not boiling.

This desired temp of 180° may seem arbitrary, but the science behind it makes sense. At this temperature, the proteins get denatured, and it puts the milk into the proper state for the creamy, rich texture of yogurt. The number is somewhat flexible, but if it gets to a boil, the proteins get too damaged and you start cooking the milk, leading to funky textures and an off-putting taste. 

2. Cool milk to 110°. 

Once your milk is heated, it’ll take 1-2 hours to cool down on its own, or you can speed it up with an ice bath in the sink. 110° is the temperature at which yogurt culture bacteria thrives; if it gets lower, it’ll still work just fine, it just takes a little longer to ferment (more on that in Step 4). 

3. Transfer to instant pot and add yogurt starter. 

When the milk gets down to 110°, transfer it to your instant pot and add a couple hearty dollops of yogurt starter. A small package of plain Greek yogurt from the store will do, or a couple big spoonfuls of your previous batch of yogurt. I’ve never measured too closely, but it’s somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 cup. 

4. Ferment for 8-24 hours. 

Fermenting yogurt simply entails keeping the milk and yogurt starter mixture at a constant low temp (~110) for anywhere from 8-24 hours. It’s extremely flexible. 

After you’ve added the starter, hit the “Yogurt” button on the instant pot and adjust the ferment period to your desired time. 

At 8 hours, it’ll be barely tangy and more like a store-bought yogurt in its texture and flavor. At 16 hours, it’ll be noticeably tangy and a bit more firm. At 24 hours, it’s quite tangy and almost sharp (much like sharp cheddar vs. regular), as well as rather dense even without filtering. I do 12 hours — most often overnight — because that’s the default on the instant pot, and it turns out great. 

Once it starts, I simply cover the top with plastic wrap rather than the instant pot lid for the simple reason that our lid has a distinct savory smell embedded in it that I don’t want transferred to the yogurt.

5. Cool and drain.

Once the yogurt is fermented, put the pot in the fridge to cool it down for a few hours. After this, you can either serve it as is, or drain it to filter out the whey and make the texture less watery. 

To drain it, line a large strainer with a few coffee filters or cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. After a few more refrigerated hours, you’ll have a thicker yogurt and a lot of whey byproduct. You can use the whey for a bunch of things from pancakes to smoothies, but I’ve always just dumped it.

6. Enjoy! 

Add any combo of fruit, granola, and sweetener (honey, syrup, etc.) to enjoy a protein-packed meal or snack.

While the active time for making yogurt is pretty minimal, the inactive time is indeed considerable: it takes 20-24 hours from heating the milk to packaging up the final product. Since I work from home with a flexible schedule, it’s definitely worth it. That ~100 oz of yogurt lasts 5-7 days in our household (all five of us love it!), so it’s just become a regular part of the routine to make more yogurt when there’s 2-3 servings left in the fridge.

If you’re wary, as I initially was, give it a shot once or twice and see what ya think. If you or your household goes through yogurt like ours does, it may indeed be worth it; if not, maybe you do it on weekends when you don’t have much else happening. Either way, I can promise you that homemade yogurt is far superior to the liquidy store-bought stuff. 

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

Roasting a whole chicken has an undeserved reputation for being difficult — dry breasts and underdone thighs can make it feel like you’re wrestling with the poultry rather than just cooking it for consumption. The preparation method of spatchcocking — which can be done with any bird you want to roast — solves most of those problems in one decisive move. By removing the backbone and flattening the bird, you expose more surface area to heat, which means faster and much more even cooking.

Thankfully, spatchcocking isn’t complicated, specialized, or reserved for professionals. It requires just a couple tools you likely already have and a willingness to make a few confident cuts. There’s no delicate knife work, no anatomical expertise, and no need to worry about perfection. Chickens are tougher than they look and the process is far more forgiving than it appears at first glance.

Once you’ve done it a single time, spatchcocking becomes less of a stressful technique and more of a default three-minute job. It shortens cook times, improves consistency whether you’re roasting or grilling, and even makes carving easier. Use the guide above to dramatically improve your chicken roasting confidence.  

Illustrated by Ted Slampyak

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

There are some foods that lend themselves especially well to snacking on while watching football. You want foods that are shareable, easy to serve and eat, and indulgently worthy of a cheat day, but not overly filling — after all, you want to be able to graze over the course of a few hours rather than fill yourself up too quickly. Worthy entries in this category include wings, sliders, pigs in a blanket, any number of dips, and, of course, nachos.

Nachos are great, but that tried and true combo of chips and cheese (and maybe some ground meat) can get a little stale — literally and figuratively. In the name of science, I recently tested out a few different flavor combos and preparation methods that take the standard nacho up a notch or two. Below are my three favorite recipes.    

This year, elevate your Super Bowl nachos by trying out something new and memorable that will impress your own taste buds and those of the folks you’re sharing with.

Taco Frito Pie 

Half casserole, half nachos, this walking taco-inspired dish is guaranteed to get rave reviews. Theoretically, you could try any kind of chip you want, but Fritos work especially well because they are thick enough to remain sturdy during the cooking and eating process. While traditional nachos are a finger food, you’ll want to eat these with a fork.

If you don’t get through it all on game day, the leftovers reheat quite well in an air fryer.  

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (you could go leaner with turkey or chicken)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 19-oz can red enchilada sauce
• 2 9-oz packages Fritos (use the regular variety; the jumbo scoops are too big)
• 8 oz shredded cheese (colby jack or Mexican blend works well)

Directions 

1. Heat oven 400° F. Coat a 9×13” baking dish with cooking spray. 
2. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat some oil over medium-high heat, then add the beef and diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and the onion is translucent — 8-10 minutes. Drain grease, if needed.
3. Once cooked, reduce heat to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup water and the taco seasoning, stirring until it’s completely mixed in. (The taco packet likely says to add 3/4 cup water; I’ve found that to be too much.)
4. Add the beans and enchilada sauce, stirring until combined, and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Time to assemble the “pie.” Pour your first package of Fritos into the baking dish and sprinkle half the cheese atop the chips. Next, evenly spread the entirety of the meat and bean mixture across the chips and cheese. Add the second package of Fritos and the remaining cheese.
6. Bake until the chips are browned and the cheese is melted and bubbly, 8-10 minutes. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, or any other preferred taco toppings.

Stupidly Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Every time I make this I’m surprised again at just how easy and foolproof it is. It’s technically a dip, but rather easy to turn into a nacho dish. You can get a mild buffalo sauce to appease milder palates; and if bleu cheese isn’t your thing, it works just as well without it. One final tip: this recipe is just the right size for a rice cooker, an appliance which many folks don’t realize doubles as a small slow cooker. Whether you use that or a traditional crockpot, this is an especially good dish for the big game due to its portability.    

Ingredients 

• 1 12.5-oz can chunk chicken, drained
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2.5 oz bleu cheese crumbles
• 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 4 oz shredded cheese (cheddar or colby jack work well)  

Directions 

1. Combine all ingredients in a small slow cooker; heat on low for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve as a dip with chips, celery/carrots, or crackers. For nachos, serve the warmed dip over a plated layer of tortilla chips.

BBQ Nachos

For how few ingredients are in these nachos, you’ll be surprised at how much flavor they have. You can, of course, smoke a brisket at home, or you can take the easy route by buying something like Famous Dave’s burnt ends at the store — that’s what I did, and it was surprisingly tasty. Turns out that the somewhat simple combination of meat, sauce, and a good shredded cheese layered over some chips works incredibly well.

Ingredients

• 1 lb prepared BBQ meat of choice (brisket, shredded pork/chicken, burnt ends — truly anything works!)
• 6 oz shredded cheese (cheddar works especially well for BBQ)
• 1 13-oz bag bag tortilla chips
• BBQ sauce of choice

Directions 

1. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place a single layer of tortilla chips on the sheet.
2. Add half the cheese and half the meat evenly across the chips. Drizzle BBQ sauce over the whole thing.  
3. Add another layer of tortilla chips, as well as the rest of the meat and cheese spread evenly across it. Drizzle more BBQ sauce over the whole thing.
4. Set oven to broil and cook it on a low setting for ~10 minutes. (If your broil mode only has one setting, put the baking sheet on a lower rack.) Keep a close eye on it; the chips can quickly turn from perfectly done to totally charred.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

While hot chocolate is largely seen in our modern day as a sweet treat for children, the ancient beverage has a surprisingly long and manly lineage. Kids clamor for a cup following a bout of snowman-making and sledding, but even when you’re grown, there’s nothing better than coming inside to a warm mug of this chocolatey elixir after a cold, wintry outing of skiing, snowshoeing, or even just shoveling.

Pre-made cocoa packets do the job fine, and you can’t beat the convenience of simply needing to mix it in a mug with heated milk or water. But once you try the homemade stuff, you’ll be hard-pressed to go back. Plus, it’s not nearly as hard as you might think. With just a few ingredients, which you likely already have on hand, you’ll be enjoying homemade cocoa in 10 minutes or less. 

Notes on Ingredients 

• Milk — All milk options (regular, lactose-free, non-dairy) work equally well for homemade hot cocoa. Use whatever it is that your family usually has on hand. Water also works, but the end product will be thinner and less rich. 
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder — Dutch process and natural cocoa powder are interchangeable in this recipe (if it’s not labeled “Dutch process,” it’s natural), but I tend to recommend the former since it has lower acidity, giving it a smoother flavor overall. That said, getting your cocoa powder from Costco is a great option, especially in the winter, and they don’t usually have a Dutch process variety.
• Brown Sugar — Regular granulated sugar is also just fine, but brown sugar adds a little depth.  
• Vanilla Extract — Not strictly necessary, but a splash of vanilla makes for a great caramely, even marshmallow-like flavor. 
• Salt — A pinch of salt enhances every other ingredient and makes the whole thing come together.  

Homemade Hot Cocoa Recipe (Serves 4) 

Ingredients

• 3 cups milk 
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder 
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• Pinch of salt 

It’s worth noting that I talked to multiple moms about this recipe and they all said they “measure with their heart.” This is a very flexible recipe that’s hard to mess up. 

Directions

So easy a 7-year-old can do it.

1. Add 3 cups of milk to a medium saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Stir in cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt with a whisk.  
3. Continue whisking in order to evenly mix all the ingredients and ensure you don’t get clumping. 
4. Serve as soon as it’s heated through, just 5-10 minutes. Pro tip: serve kids first, when it’s just barely hot, then heat it a couple more minutes for the adults.
5. Add desired extras. Mini marshmallows and/or whipped cream always go over well. A splash of Amaretto elevates it even further for those 21+.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

Last year, I got a wood pellet smoker, and it’s really changed the game for our home cooking. I use it several times a week now; brisket, burgers, chicken, steak, veggies — you name it, and I’ve probably smoked it. But my proudest use so far was smoking the turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner last year.

It was a big hit with everyone. The bird came out juicy, with a deep, golden brown skin you only get from smoke and butter. The meat had a nice smoke ring and plenty of flavor, thanks to a dry brine that does most of the work while you sleep.

If you’ve never smoked a turkey before, it’s easier than you think. I learned from my friend and BBQ master Karl Engel. Here’s the idiot-proof process Karl recommends.

Pick the Right Bird

If you’re serving more than a dozen people, it’s better to cook two smaller turkeys (12–14 pounds each) rather than one massive 25-pounder. Big birds tend to dry out before the inside finishes cooking. Two smaller turkeys will cook faster, more evenly, and taste better.

If you decide to go with a larger turkey, you’ll want to spatchcock it to ensure even cooking. I’ll show you how to do that below.

Thaw It Completely

If you bought a frozen turkey, make sure it’s fully thawed before smoking. Take out the giblets and neck, rinse the bird inside and out with cool water, and pat it dry with paper towels.

Dry Brine (The Secret Weapon)

A dry brine gives you juicy meat without the mess of a wet brine. Here’s the mix Karl recommends:

• 2 cups kosher salt
• ¼ cup black pepper
• 3 tablespoons dried herbs (any “herbes de Provence” blend works great)

Liberally cover the turkey inside and out with the dry brine mixture. Don’t be shy here. It’s hard to overdo it. You want that bird well-coated.

Place the turkey in a large foil pan and leave it uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours. If you don’t have fridge space, you can use an ice chest. Fill the bottom with 2–3 inches of ice, set the pan on top, and keep an eye on the temperature to make sure it stays cold.

Rinse and Spatchcock

After 24 hours, rinse the turkey under cold water, inside and out, and pat it completely dry.

If you’ve got a big bird (18+ pounds), you’ll want to spatchcock it. That’s just a fancy way of saying “remove the backbone and flatten it.” This helps the turkey cook faster and more evenly.

To spatchcock:

Place the turkey breast-side down.

Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it (save it for stock).

Flip the bird breast-side up and press down firmly on the breastbone until you hear a crack and the turkey lies flat.

Now you’ve got a bird that will cook evenly and look great when finished.

Butter It Up

Slather softened butter all over the turkey. Put some inside the cavity. The butter helps the skin crisp up and adds flavor.

If you want to level up, mix your butter with minced rosemary and sage.

Fire Up the Smoker

Heat your smoker to 300°F. That’s a little hotter than some people like to smoke, but Karl has found through experimentation that if you go lower, you usually end up drying out the turkey. 300°F seems to be the sweet spot for a juicy bird with plenty of smoky flavor.

I used a mix of oak and apple pellets, but hickory, cherry, or pecan work great too.

Place the turkey breast-side up on the smoker grill, and place a foil pan beneath it to catch the drippings for gravy. If you’ve spatchcocked your turkey, lay it flat, skin side up.

Plan for about 3½ to 4 hours of cooking, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and at the junction of the leg and thigh.

Baste With Butter

While the turkey cooks, melt three sticks of butter in a saucepan and add a few sprigs of rosemary and sage (fresh if you can get them). Every hour, baste the turkey with this butter mixture. It will help crisp the skin and give it that dark mahogany finish that looks straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

Rest and Carve

Once your turkey hits temperature, pull it off the smoker and let it rest for 20–30 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute and makes carving easier.

Look at that smoke ring.

Then carve it up (see our guide on how to carve a turkey) and enjoy. The meat should be tender and juicy with a subtle smoky flavor.

Once you smoke a turkey, you may never go back to roasting. It’s that good.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

Instant coffee has a poor reputation among American coffee drinkers. (The rest of the world is not as hesitant about including it in their regular beverage routine.) And for good reason, if you ask coffee aficionados: the instant stuff is known for tasting like burnt dirt. On top of that, instant coffee granules would historically not dissolve well, leaving you with a thick, powdery texture more akin to something like sandy mud than a smooth, enjoyable drink.

But the times, they are a changin’! Recent years have seen a boom in instant coffee innovation and a subsequent uptick in usage: for the first time since the 1970s, over 10% of coffee-drinking American households are using the stuff.

Not only has the taste of instant coffee greatly improved — companies are using much higher quality beans than they used to — but the processing technology has gotten much better too. Nowadays, simply adding hot water dissolves the granules almost instantly, leaving you with a much better texture.  

As an ardent coffee lover myself, I was keen to try this new wave of instant coffees, along with some of the traditional stuff for comparison.

My methodology was rather simple:

• I stuck with black coffee rather than messing around with powdered lattes or other specialty drinks that included sugar and/or creamer.
• I purchased most of the available grocery store options. This will vary by region, but most of these brands are widely found across the country.
• I then researched some of the higher-end brands I couldn’t get at my grocery store and bought them online, either through Amazon (free shipping) or directly from the manufacturer (paid shipping that jacked up the price per serving).
• I tried each coffee at least three times over the course of about a month, using the recommended preparation instructions, ensuring that they all got a fair shake.

Instant coffee will not beat your favorite coffee shop or your French press at home. But some of them will certainly beat your Keurig and will make for a fine cup of coffee while road tripping, backcountry camping, or simply on a morning when you’re short on time.

This taste test was by no means exhaustive. There are a lot of options out there, both on grocery store shelves and online. That said, most fall into these sortable buckets:

• Dirt cheap: Folgers, Maxwell House, etc. — they don’t taste great, but cost just pennies per serving and still command a rather loyal following among some, especially those who grew up on these brands.  
• Middle of the road: These brands usually aren’t household names and cost between $0.25 and $1 per serving. There are a lot of options in this category and they all taste roughly the same. (More on that below.)
• High end: This is a fairly new category in the instant coffee world; these coffees taste dang good, but you’re going to pay for it at $2+ per cup.
• Instant espressos: These are a category of their own and, in America at least, are often just used for cooking. Intended to replicate the taste and intensity of a classic espresso, they’re stronger and made with finer granules than other instant coffees.
• Concentrates: Generally used for homemade iced coffee, but can be used for hot java as well.

Below, you’ll find notes on at least one instant coffee from each of these categories. I’ll first mention a couple to definitely avoid, then provide a few recommendations that aren’t the very best but are still recommendable, and finally I’ll share the top three best-tasting instant coffees.

Note: I calculated the price per serving based on the unit price of the product, plus the cost of shipping (where applicable), divided by the recommended proportions for a standard cup. For some of them, I had to double the portion of coffee to get to the right strength. The “right” strength is a very subjective preference, though, and will require some experimentation. Just know that the price per serving, in reality, may vary.

The Undrinkables

Medaglia and G7 Black

Medaglia: $0.17/serving ($5.89 for ~35 servings)

G7 Black: $0.51/serving ($16.91 for ~33 servings)

There were two coffees that didn’t get a third taste test: Medaglia, an Italian-style instant espresso, and G7, a popular Vietnamese brand of instant coffee. Both lived up to instant coffee’s poor reputation. The smell was that of burned rubber, and the taste nearly matched. They were downright undrinkable, frankly. Perhaps worst of all, they delivered that trademark gritty and gunpowdery texture of the instant coffees of yore.

Both of these coffees have some decent reviews on Reddit and elsewhere on the web, but didn’t pass muster for my palate (which is much more forgiving than most coffee aficionados). I cannot in good faith recommend either Medaglia or G7 Black for human consumption.

Everyday Drinkables

The Nostalgic Choice: Folgers

$0.08/serving ($10.39 for ~125 servings)

As Folgers is one of the oldest brands in this space — it introduced its instant coffee in 1953 — if you’re familiar with an instant coffee, it’s probably this one.

There’s something undeniably nostalgic and even a bit comforting in a mug of Folgers. It doesn’t taste awesome, but this instant java will bring you right back to your parents or grandparents’ house, or to your own youthful college days. It’s not a bad place to go, even if it’s not the highest quality cup of coffee on this list. Plus, you really can’t beat that price per serving.

Upgraded Money Savers: Mt. Hagen and Highground

Mt. Hagen: $0.38/serving ($9.42 for a 25-pack on Amazon)

Highground: $0.60/serving ($18.09 for ~30 servings)

Just as with higher-priced varieties of instant coffee (more on that below), there’s also been a proliferation of middle-of-the-road instant options that purport to offer a better product at a slightly higher but still very affordable price point. Two of the more popular brands in this category are Mt. Hagen (which gets weirdly high reviews on Reddit) and Highground.

In my taste tests, both of these organic coffees tasted just fine and are totally acceptable for any of your instant coffee needs. There’s nothing notably offensive about them, nor are they worth writing home about. If you’re looking for an option that offers a slight upgrade over traditional instants, Mt. Hagen and Highground are both good enough and still quite inexpensive per cup.

Iced Coffee Concentrates: Nespresso and Jot

Nespresso: $0.68/serving ($13.59 for 20 servings)

Jot: $1.50/serving ($20.99 for 14 servings)

In addition to freeze-dried granules, liquid concentrates mark a newer entry into the instant coffee market. Just as with granules, there are options across a range of prices (there are fewer options, however) and they’re manufactured specifically for iced coffee — though they can still be used for a hot beverage.

The primary downside with concentrates is that they’re a refrigerated liquid, so they’re not as portable as granules. With these concentrates, it’s more about the convenience of a homemade beverage than about taking it on your travels.

The two brands that were tested in this category were Nespresso and Jot, respectively representing the cheaper and more expensive sides of the price spectrum. Rather than trying black iced coffee, I made cold maple lattes for my wife (iced coffee isn’t my thing). In a couple different rounds of blind taste tests, she surprisingly picked Nespresso every time. Overall, they both made a very delectable drink, but the Nespresso wins out based on both taste and price.

The 3 Best-Tasting Instant Coffees

The Surprise Bronze Medalist: Ferrara Instant Espresso

$0.17/serving ($5.99 for ~35 servings)

At just $5.99 per jar, I had pretty low expectations for this instant espresso. I figured it would fall into the same camp as Medaglia. There are a few brands in this category, and they’re generally just used for cooking applications rather than actual drinking. But I wasn’t going to leave any stone unturned, so I gave Ferrera a shot.

The roasty aroma matched the “espresso” label, and the fine powder dissolved easily, leaving no residue. Best of all, it tasted like a decent cup of coffee. It was strong, just as espresso should be, and left very little of that noticeable instant coffee aftertaste. Ferrara’s darkness probably isn’t for everyone, but I enjoyed it quite well.

The Runner-Up: Blue Bottle

$2.01/serving ($25 for 15 servings, plus $5.25 shipping)

I’ve been a fan of Blue Bottle since I first sipped their coffee in the early 2010s at their original San Fran shop. Traditionally, instant coffee is made with dark roasted beans. Without getting too technical, that’s simply because it’s easier and cheaper to produce. Blue Bottle and other high-end coffee roasters, however, have invested heavily in their freeze-drying process, allowing light-roasted coffee — with its brighter, arguably better flavors — to be turned into an easily dissolvable granule. (Naturally, that high technical cost is reflected in the price of the product.)

As for the taste test: it holds up to the original quite well! There’s not much of an aroma, but the flavor is distinctly Blue Bottle, albeit a somewhat tamer version of it. It’s a very enjoyable cup of coffee that I actually look forward to sipping when that afternoon lull hits. (Heck, I got to thinking about it while writing this paragraph and had to make myself a cup!)

At $2 per cup, it’s more than most others on this list, but still much cheaper than anything you’d get at a cafe. Whether it’s for your own morning joe or as a unique and elevated stocking stuffer, I happily recommend Blue Bottle instant coffee.

The Winner: Swift Coffee

$3.25/serving ($15 for 6 servings, plus $4.50 shipping)

The last few years have seen a proliferation of small, craft coffee roasteries selling an instant product. When you start searching around, you realize that a large percentage of those roasteries offer their product in packages of six pouches, each pouch containing a single serving of instant coffee. Verve, Equator, Canyon — the packaging of these brands looks very similar for a reason. Turns out, Swift Coffee co-manufactures instant granules for most of these companies.

Rather than trying them all, I just tested the original offering from Swift. And I must say, it was really good. As compared to something I’d brew in my French press, the aroma was not as noticeable, but the coffee tasted pretty darn similar. And that’s reflected in the price: this mug of instant coffee costs about the same as what you’d pay for a cup at a coffee shop. You’re not saving money with Swift Coffee (or any of the other craft brands they co-manufacture); rather, you’re paying about the same cafe price to enjoy that nice cup of coffee at home rather than at the shop. It’s dang tasty as long as you’re ready to pony up.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

An important part of manhood has always been about having the competence to be effective in the world — having the breadth of skills, the savoir-faire, to handle any situation you find yourself in. With that in mind, each Sunday we’ll be republishing one of the illustrated guides from our archives, so you can hone your manly know-how week by week

The big keys to cooking a great burger center on using the right meat and grilling technique. But once you’ve got those fundamentals in place, the architecture of your burger can also enhance the taste and overall eating experience. 

Plenty of people structure their burger willy-nilly, and really, there’s no wrong way to do it. But there are ways that make it more or less likely that you’ll have issues with things like soggy buns, suboptimal flavor melding, and, most vexing of all, escaping toppings; it’s not fun to have those toppings squirting and falling out as you try to get your delicious meat sandwich in your mouth.

There are a lot of opinions about the best order in which to stack toppings on a burger. Folks have their particular method, and their particular rationales for said method. It’s a subject as debatable as what the greatest war movies of all time are.

That being said, here we add our own entry to that debate, a researched and field-tested argument for the following as being the soundest strategy for building your burger.

From bottom to top:

• Bottom bun.
• First condiment of choice. Distribute your condiments (mustard, ketchup, mayo, etc.) between the top and bottom buns. This preserves the distinctiveness of their flavors, prevents an overabundance of goop that will drip and squirt out as you eat, and creates a kind of “mortar” on both top and bottom that will help secure toppings in place. If you’re using mayo, Alton Brown recommends putting it on the bottom bun, as its fattiness will create a barrier that will prevent the bun from soaking up the burger juices and getting soggy.
• Lettuce. With its placement atop the bun, the lettuce acts as a shield that blocks the patty’s juices from soaking into it and making it soggy. Keeping the lettuce from direct contact with the hot patty also keeps it from wilting, preserving its crispness. 
• Tomato. Slippery veggies like lettuce and tomato are best placed beneath the burger and are less likely to slip when used as foundational pieces rather than sitting on top of the patty. Placing half of your toppings on the bottom of the burger, and half on top, prevents it from being top-heavy and thus unstable, while the weight of the patty, and the texture of its bottom surface, will help hold the tomato in place. 
• Burger patty with melted cheese. For best taste, cheese should be melted on top of the patty as it finishes cooking.
• Onions. The melted cheese on which the onion sits will help keep it in position. 
• Pickles. Place your pickles within the rings of the onions, and those “walls” will keep them from sliding out.
• Second condiment of choice. The condiment will help keep the onions and pickles in place.
• Top bun.

For further help in keeping the structure of your burger together as you eat, learn the best way to hold it; yes, there’s a best way to do that too — proven by science! 

Illustrated by Ted Slampyak

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

Note: This is an excerpt from Dad, What’s for Dinner?: Lifesaving Recipes to Avoid Meltdowns, Have Fun in the Kitchen, and Keep Your Kids Well Fed by chef David Nayfeld.

No other meal in the day is as transformed by the school calendar as breakfast. During the academic year, weekday breakfasts fall into the “Hurry up and eat, so we can get out the door” camp. Breakfast is you get what you get. If it’s a piece of fruit and a piece of toast on the way out the door, consider yourself lucky. My mother would warm six mozzarella sticks in the toaster oven. I ate that every morning for two years.

But on weekends —­ and during breaks —­ breakfast can be a luxurious and leisurely way to start a day. In fact, because it is normally so rushed, I find those laid-­back breakfasts to be the most joyful meal in the house. And, because so much of breakfast is baking-­centric, it’s a great opportunity to bond with your kid. Or, let them relax and sleep in while you make it. It doesn’t matter. That’s the great part about the weekend.

How to Make Lazy Weekend Pancakes

For anyone who has not gone through the exercise of making a true pancake from scratch, know there are few things more satisfying. The level of primal urge satisfaction is akin to being a hunter, killing your own venison and bringing it back to the table. Actually, making pancakes from scratch isn’t that hard. The secret — and the science experiment — is that the vinegar reacts with the baking soda to form a foamy texture. The most time-­consuming part of this recipe is the measuring out of ingredients — but what might be tedious for you is fun for your kids, so get them involved.

And a word about texture: Some people like soft, singularly textured pancakes. I do not. By cooking them at a higher heat, you achieve a crisp crust that yields to a tender fluffy interior. Nothing could be better.

• Yield: 4 or 5 pancakes
• Time: 30 to 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups (320g) whole wheat flour (stone-milled, if available)
• 1/4 cup (50g) raw sugar
• 2 teaspoons (6g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon (3g) kosher salt
• 2 large eggs (60g each), separated
• 1.5 cups (350g) buttermilk
• 1 cup (245g) whole milk
• 2 tablespoons (30g) distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15g) vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons (55g) butter, melted and cooled

To Finish

• 4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter, plus more for serving
• Maple syrup, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a second bowl, with an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until they create soft peaks.
3. In a third bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, milk, vinegar, vanilla, and 4 tablespoons melted butter.
4. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, stirring just until combined. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in the egg whites.
5. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a stainless steel skillet over high heat. Once melted, reduce the heat to medium and scoop 1/2-cup (120ml) portions of batter into the hot pan. Cook until the edges become crispy and bubbles start to appear on the surface of the pancake, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until the edges are crispy and the center is firm. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
6. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

From Dad, What’s for Dinner? © 2025 by David Nayfeld. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Photos by Eric Wolfinger

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.