There are nights when supper needs to be plain, filling, and easy on the pocketbook, and that is exactly where this slow cooker poor man coney sauce earns its keep. It has the spirit of old-fashioned Midwestern kitchen thrift, turning a handful of inexpensive pantry staples and a block of frozen ground beef into a rich, tangy hot dog sauce that tastes like something from a little roadside stand. When the day gets ahead of you and you do not know what to make, this is the sort of dependable meal that gets everybody fed without much fuss.
Spoon this coney sauce over hot dogs tucked into soft buns and serve with potato chips, dill pickles, baked beans, or a simple scoop of macaroni salad. It also goes nicely with oven fries, coleslaw, or even over toast if you are stretching supper. For drinks, keep it easy with iced tea, lemonade, or a cold root beer for that old diner feeling.
Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Poor Man Coney Sauce
Servings: 8
Ingredients
2 pounds frozen raw ground beef
1/2 cup cheap yellow mustard
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 small onion, finely chopped
Directions
1. Place the frozen ground beef in the slow cooker. Squirt the yellow mustard over the top, then add the ketchup, chili powder, and chopped onion.
2. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 7 hours, until the beef is fully cooked and easy to break apart.
3. Remove the lid and break the beef up very well with a spoon or potato masher until the texture is fine and crumbly, then stir everything together thoroughly.
4. Cover again and cook for 30 to 60 minutes more, stirring once or twice, until the sauce is thick, well blended, and spoonable for hot dogs.
5. Spoon the hot coney sauce over cooked hot dogs in buns and serve right away.
Variations & Tips
For a smoother sauce: If you like that old drive-in style texture, mash and stir the beef very thoroughly once it is cooked enough to loosen. A potato masher works especially well for getting those fine, even crumbles.
To stretch it further: This sauce goes a long way over regular hot dogs, but you can also spoon it over baked potatoes, fries, hamburgers, or buttered toast when you need to make supper cover a few extra plates.
If your beef gives off extra liquid: Some frozen ground beef releases more moisture than others. If the sauce seems too thin near the end, leave the lid slightly ajar for the last 20 to 30 minutes so it can thicken up.
A little more zip: If your family likes a brighter tang, add an extra squirt of yellow mustard right before serving. That fresh mustard note wakes everything up nicely without making the sauce complicated.