How to make chili cheese dogs

Kate Elliott

Contributing Writer

Chili cheese dogs may seem like one of those dishes you don't really need a recipe for, right? What is there to it other than taking some leftover chili (or a can of chili), warming it up, and piling it onto franks? As the recipe that follows shows, however, chili cheese dogs get an upgrade when you make the chili first and do it slightly differently than you would when making a vat of the stuff.

That's because this chili doesn't include any beans. After all, when you're looking for a chili cheese dog, you're mostly interested in the sloppy, messy, gooey chili to run down your arm. Those protein-packed beans aren't needed. What is required, however, is that these be topped with cheddar cheese. Lots and lots of cheese.

Cooktop Cove

Chili Cheese Dogs

10 minutes

25 minutes

35 minutes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, small dice

1 pound ground beef

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 hot dogs

6 hot dog buns

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring once or twice, for about 3 minutes, just until the onion is soft.

Add the ground beef and cook, stirring regularly, for 5 to 7 minutes, until no longer pink.

Add the crushed tomatoes, ketchup, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, white vinegar, chili powder, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper to the frying pan.

Bring mixture to a boil before rdducing the heat and simmering for 10 to 15 minutes, just until the chili thickens slightly.

While the sauce is simmering, grill hot dogs on an indoor or outdoor grill.

Place hot dogs into the buns as they finish cooking.

When the chili is finished simmering, ladle generously onto each hot dog.

Preheat the broiler.

Divide the cheddar cheese evenly among all hot dogs and place them on a baking sheet.

Place the hot dogs under the broiler and broil for one or two minutes, just until the cheese is melted.

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