We’ve got an important question about hot dogs for you. No, not whether they are sandwiches or not, but rather — why doesn’t Knoxville have its own signature frankfurter? Tennessee may be a barbecue hub, but we’re looking for a real weiner that Knoxville can cheer for.

So, without further ado — we know you’ve got barbecues to get to — 865today presents our Knoxville-style hot dog, aka the “Don’t Knox It ‘Til You Try It.”

Ingredients:

Little Debbie Honey Buns, steamed
Metts and Beans
Benton’s Country Ham
Petro’s Chili
Steamed

Every good dog starts with great buns, hon. We’re going for a sweet + salty combination by using a sugary Honey Bun from Tennessee-based Little Debbie, “The Official Snack Cake of the 1982 World’s Fair” that was held here in Knoxville.

Now for the frank. We'll try our hand at grilling up mettwurst, the nostalgic Knoxville sausage you could once get at the Old College Inn that was traditionally served with white beans. There, we already have a side item down. We're never ones to skimp on flavor, so let's add a slice of Benton's country ham with our sausage.

When it comes to toppings, you can't beat a scoop of Petro's chili. We're skipping the chips this time and adding the chili right on top of the mett — cheese is optional, but of course we'll opt in.

You may have strong opinions on whether a hot dog is a sandwich, but we’ll still take ours steamed, hoagie-style.