Monday, March 30, 2009

What Is A Chili Dog







Make chili dogs at your next family barbecue.


Many individuals love reminiscing about the foods they enjoyed as children. It is quite possible that your childhood favorites are ones that you cook for and eat with your own family today. Chili dogs, alongside classics such as potato salad and hamburgers, are a family barbecue staple that are sure to please both the young and the old.


What is a Chili Dog?


A basic chili dog consists of a sausage or hot dog served in a bun and topped with hot chili. While most chili dog fans opt for bean-free chili, it is not a necessity. Making chili dogs that are hearty enough to serve as a meal is quick and simple. Cook your hot dogs in the oven or on the barbecue. While the hot dogs are cooking, heat up a can of chili; if you don't wish to use prepared chili, make a basic chili from chili seasoning and ground beef. Place the hot dogs in buns and add a generous helping of chili over top of each one before serving.


"Coney Island" Chili Dog


"Coney Island" chili dogs are a popular variation of basic chili dogs that involve additional ingredients. Add yellow mustard and onion powder to the chili mixture while cooking; if you're making the chili from scratch, add 1/2 tsp. onion powder and 1 tbsp. yellow mustard for each pound of ground beef. Pour the chili on top of the hot dogs and garnish them with chopped, raw white onion and shredded cheddar cheese.


Open-Face Chili Dog


Another way to serve classic chili dogs is open-face. Separate two hot dog buns and place them face-up on a plate. Add a cooked hot dog to each bun half and top the hot dogs with hot canned or homemade chili and, if desired, shredded cheese. Broil the hot dogs for approximately one minute to melt the cheese. While chili dogs are traditionally eaten with your hands, enjoy this version with a knife and fork.


Chili Dog Wraps








Create chili dog wraps by placing the traditional ingredients between corn tortillas. In a recipe suggested on the Betty Crocker website, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit before greasing a baking pan. Add one hot dog and several spoonfuls of chili to each tortilla before rolling the tortillas and placing them in the baking dish. Add salsa to the tortillas and bake for approximately 25 minutes. Add shredded cheese, if desired, during the last five minutes of baking.

Tags: chili dogs, basic chili, chili dogs that, chili from, Coney Island