Chili Dogs

I have lived in Fort Wayne going on four years now. When I first moved to Fort Wayne, everyone told me I had to go to Coney Island in downtown Fort Wayne. Personally, I am weird when it comes to Coney/Chili dogs. I believe it goes back to when I was in high school and it was an option in the lunch line-it just did not look appetizing. But, for four years when you have multiple people tell me, “YOU HAVE TO GO TO CONEY ISLAND.” I finally broke down. My husband and I made a date of it and we walked into the nearly 100 year old business. I have to say the Coney dog was pretty darn good. It made me wonder if I could take on this challenge of making a pretty darn good dog myself. Well folks, this is what I bring to you today-CHILI DOGS! Yes, I said it, Chili dog… not a Coney dog…

Fun Fact: The difference between a Chili dog and Coney dog is a Chili dogs has beans and a Coney dog is a meat sauce without the beans.

What You’ll Need:

1 pound of Ground Beef

1 medium Onion

2 cloves of Garlic

1 4oz can of Green Chilies

2 tablespoons of Tomato Paste

1 can of Kidney Beans

1 teaspoon of Salt

½ teaspoon of Pepper

1 teaspoon of Onion Powder

1 teaspoon of Garlic Salt

2 tablespoons of Chili Powder

½ cup of Water

1 package of Hot Dogs

1 package of Hot Dog Buns

1 cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese

What You’ll Do:

ü  First, mince the garlic and set off to the side. Also, chop your onion. Save half of the chopped onion for a topping for the Chili dog.

ü  In a skillet on medium heat, add your garlic, onion, and ground beef. Cook until done-no pink showing.

ü  Next add, all of the seasonings, green chilies, and kidney beans.

ü  Then, add the tomato paste. Let the paste cook out and diffuse through the dish.

ü  Next, add the water and stir together. Let everything come to a boil and reduce the heat to low.

ü  Meanwhile, you can cook your hotdog any way you would like. I cooked my dogs on a grill pan for my stove. You can boil your dogs, cook them in a skillet, or zap them in the microwave.

ü  Also, I steamed my buns. To accomplish that, get a paper towel wet and rinse out the excess water. Next, wrap the paper towel around the hotdog bun and microwave for 10-15 seconds.

ü  To build your Chili dog, first, put your dog in the steamed bun and top with the sauce. Then, add toppings to your liking. I used chopped onion and cheddar cheese.

ü  Lastly, enjoy!

            This recipe is so versatile, feel free to do whatever makes you happy. Iif that is leaving out the ground meat then do so. Or switching out the ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken is a great idea. Make this recipe your own by adding your own toppings. The options are endless.

Serve With: French Fries, Chips, Fresh Fruit, Mac-N-Cheese, or Fresh Veggies.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Full Process: 25 minutes

Total Number of Servings: 8

Price of Whole Dish: $9.12

Price per Person: $1.14

Please Enjoy!!

-SW