The 4th of July is already a pretty big holiday. But, it’s also right there in close to my mom’s birthday and is yet another one’s favorite holiday in the family. So, for us? It’s go big or go bigger. There isn’t much room in between for anything else. I’m not sure when or where, but I saw the idea for these ‘sparkler dogs’ a while back now and have been meaning to make my riff on them for at least a year or two.

Originally, they were pretty plain, plain, plain. So I decided to up the ante a little bit with throwing some 'Everything’ seasoning at them and using some of my other favorites to make them a little more health conscious.

One of the first swaps I made was to use a good quality wiener. I prefer one that isn’t all junked up with additives, nitrates, and whatever bull tends to be loaded into one of America’s favorites. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t go for the jumbo franks’ though.

Another thing I did was to use an organic refrigerated crescent roll dough and a very trusted brand for the ‘Everything’ seasoning too. Other than that, there’s really not a whole lot else to change around. You’ll want to be sure to get thick cut cheese from the deli too. I chose monterey jack cheese (sliced thick on a 3 or 4 setting) for it’s softer nature; making it better for skewering.

There you have it! A fun and festive take on a pretty classic nosh-worthy bite. The ‘Everything’ seasoning really makes these sparkler dogs feel like they’re even more fun and ‘sparkle’ worthy.

Oh, and those fancy hotdog papers? Yeah, those came from a dollar store.

Step-by-Step Photos:

Nutritional Claims: Sugar Conscious • Low Potassium • Egg Free • Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • Sulphite Free