There is something wonderfully practical about a slow cooker full of little links simmering away for a summer get-together, especially when the ingredient list is short and the payoff is big. This kind of recipe has that old-fashioned Midwestern church-supper spirit to it: simple pantry items, a budget-minded package of hot dogs, and a sweet-savory sauce that turns humble ingredients into the platter everybody crowds around first. It is the sort of dish you make when you need plenty to feed a porch full of folks without standing over the stove all afternoon.
Serve these saucy summer links with potato salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, deviled eggs, or a crisp cabbage slaw for a classic holiday spread. They also fit right in on a buffet beside pickle spears, soft rolls, and a bowl of kettle chips, and if you are feeding a crowd, a tray of sliced cheese and a simple macaroni salad round things out nicely.
Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Poor Man Summer Links
Servings: 8
Ingredients
2 pounds frozen raw beef hot dogs, cut into halves or thirds
1 can or bottle (12 ounces) cheap cherry cola
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
Directions
1. Place the frozen beef hot dogs in the slow cooker, arranging them as evenly as you can so the sauce will coat them well.
2. In a bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the cherry cola, barbecue sauce, and yellow mustard until combined.
3. Pour the sauce mixture over the hot dogs, cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 5 hours or on High for 2 to 3 hours, stirring once or twice if convenient, until the hot dogs are heated through and the sauce is glossy.
4. Stir gently, then switch the cooker to Warm for serving. If you like, set out toothpicks and let folks help themselves straight from the slow cooker, or transfer the links to a serving dish and spoon the sauce over the top.
Variations & Tips
Make it smokier: If you have it on hand, use a hickory-style barbecue sauce for a deeper backyard-cookout flavor. That little change gives the links a richer finish without adding any extra work.
Sweeter party version: For a sauce that leans a little more candied, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. This is especially nice if your barbecue sauce is more tangy than sweet.
Cut for easy serving: Slicing the hot dogs into halves or thirds before cooking makes them easier to serve as an appetizer and helps more of the sauce cling to each piece. For a supper plate, you can leave them whole and tuck them into soft buns.
Watch the sauce at the end: Slow cookers all run a little differently. If the sauce seems thin near the end of cooking, leave the lid slightly ajar for 15 to 20 minutes on High so it can thicken a bit. If it gets too thick, stir in a splash of cola.
Keep it crowd-friendly: This recipe doubles well for reunions, holidays, and potlucks as long as your slow cooker is large enough. Stir gently so the hot dogs stay intact, and keep them on Warm once they are done so the sauce does not scorch around the edges.