Whether you're a baseball fan or not, you can't deny the certain euphoric experience of eating ballpark food and drinking beer with friends when the weather finally gets nice. During spring break this year, I spent some time in Arizona and it was the start of spring training for major league baseball. While I was there, I noticed unique twists being brought to everybody's favorite ballpark eat: the hot dog. 

The food trucks and restaurants were flooded with fans in town for Spring Training, and I was surprised to see how popular these "trendy" dogs were. These observations inspired me to compile 5 of the most unique and mouth-watering hot dog recipes I could find. With this guide, your summer tailgates and cook outs will get the upgrade you didn't know they needed.

1. Banh Mi Dog 

sandwich
Julianna Romero

Banh mi is a Vietnamese term for bread, and most people are familiar with traditional banh mi sandwiches, consisting of ingredients from both French and Vietnamese cuisine. Since banh mi grew out of a fusion of cultures, it is the perfect direction to take your hot dog recipe. This awesome recipe uses essential banh mi flavors like radishes, spicy mayo, and ginger. Not convinced? It only takes 10 minutes to make! Check out the banh mi sandwich above for inspiration.

2. Reuben Dog 

This awesome recipe uses essential banh mi flavors like radishes, spicy mayo, and ginger. Not convinced? It only takes 10 minutes to make! Check out the banh mi sandwich above for inspiration.

Even if you think you aren't a fan of reuben sandwiches, you need to try this recipe. Check out this recipe and try melting the Swiss cheese on a Coney bun before piling on sauerkraut and dressing. You won't believe you ever ate your Ruebens another way.

3.  "Crispy Dog" 

One of the food trucks I saw while I was in Arizona was Short Leash Hot Dogs. I was really impressed by their range of options for a food I had considered pretty basic. One that particularly stood out was their Crispy Dog. To recreate it, buy cheese filled hot dogs from your grocery store. Fry the tortilla shell, wrap it in bacon and top it with Sriracha mayo, and you're good to go. Check out Short Leash Hot Dog's menu to see what else you can recreate in your own kitchen. 

4. Mu Shu Brat Bites

To recreate it, buy cheese filled hot dogs from your grocery store. Fry the tortilla shell, wrap it in bacon and top it with Sriracha mayo, and you're good to go. Check out Short Leash Hot Dog's menu to see what else you can recreate in your own kitchen. 

Brats also offer a good alternative for traditional hot dogs, and you can experiment with any of these recipes by swapping out the hot dogs for bratwurst, Italian sausage, turkey dogs, or vegetarian dogs. Check out the mouthwatering dogs above that you would never guess were veggie dogs!

5. Mac and Cheese Dog 

Drowning under a pile of mac and cheese, this is the perfect hot dog for a picky eater or carb lover. How could you complain about anything topped with mac and cheese? Not to mention, this recipe is incredibly easy since the bulk of the work goes in to making the mac and cheese, then from there you just decide how much to pile on. Check out other ways you can eat mac and cheese for any meal, and try out these awesome additions!

Hopefully this guide gave you some inspiration for your next cook out or gathering and a reminder to never stop experimenting with your food! 

Check out other ways you can eat mac and cheese for any meal, and try out these awesome additions!