Cheesy Smoked Garlic Dog
For this installment of The Dog Days of Summer 2026, we go full garlic. You ALWAY go full garlic!
Things to know:
Is Johnsonville sausage good quality?
Johnsonville sausage is generally considered a good, high-quality, and reliable brand, widely praised for its juicy texture, bold flavor, and consistent quality. It is a popular, accessible choice for grilling, pasta dishes, and breakfast, particularly known for its cheddar sausages and Italian varieties. However, some critics find them quite salty or note a one-note, heavily pork-forward flavor.
Is Johnsonville still family owned?
Founded in 1945 by the late Ralph F. and Alice Stayer, the privately held company remains family owned today, providing various sausage products in 40 countries.
Where is Johnsonville Sausage made in the USA?
It is one of the largest sausage producers in the United States and the largest sausage brand by revenue in the United States. Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.
What is garlic?
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a bulbous flowering plant in the onion family, grown from individual cloves planted in the fall for a summer harvest, and is known for its pungent flavor in cooking. There are two main types, hardneck (stiff stalk, more flavor, shorter storage) and softneck (floppy stalk, longer storage, common in stores). It thrives in well-drained, rich soil and requires a period of cold weather to form bulbs, making fall planting ideal in most climates.
What is the history of garlic?
Garlic is an ancient crop, cultivated for over 5,000–7,000 years, with roots in Central Asia, India, and Egypt. Used throughout history for its medicinal properties, strength-boosting reputation, and culinary pungency, it was prized by Sumerians, Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans.
Who is the largest producer of garlic?
China is the world’s largest garlic producer by a vast margin, accounting for approximately 73% to 80% of total global production. With an annual output often exceeding 20 million tonnes, China far outpaces other major producers like India, Bangladesh, and Egypt.
Ingredients:
6 uncooked sausages (we used Johnsonville’s Irish Garlic Sausages)
6 sturdy hoagie buns
1 cup whole milk
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t salt
5 cloves roasted garlic
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack
chopped green onions for garnish
1. About 4.5 hours before you intend to serve this amazing dish, preheat your smoker to 170F.
2. Once your smoker hits the target temp, chuck your sausages into it and smoke them for 1.5 hours.
3. Remove the sausages from the smoker and chuck them into an ice bath.
4. After 15 minutes in the ice bath, remove the sausages, dry them with paper towels and place them on a wire rack with a baking sheet. Chuck them into the fridge for at least 30 minutes. (Steps 1-4 can be done days earlier if you wish to speed up your sausage day meal prep.)
5. While the sausages are in the fridge, bump your smoker’s temp to 225F.
6. Chuck your cool, dry sausages back into the smoker until they hit an internal temperature of 165F. This should take about 90 minutes.
7. While the sausages are in their second smoke, prepare the cheesy garlic sauce. In a small saucepan, heat the milk on medium heat until just simmering. Remove from the heat and cover.
8. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter on medium low heat. Once the foam subsides, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Continue to cook the mixture for about 2 minutes, but do not allow the roux to brown.
9. Slowly add the milk while whisking to combine.
10. Raise the heat to medium and add the salt and cayenne.
11. Whisk in the cheese. Continue to whisk the sauce until it comes to a boil and thickens.
12. Remove from the heat and add the garlic.
13. Pour the sauce in a blender and mix until smooth.
14. Toast your hoagie buns, then add the sausage, top with the gravy , fried onion crisps and parsley. Serve and ENJOY!
Equipment used:
Yoder YS640S
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