Sisterhood of the Traveling Hot Dog Casserole

Recently my friend Kristen sent me a recipe for a chili cheese dog casserole.  At first I thought it wouldn't fit in with my new healthier eating (22 pounds lost and counting!) but after looking at it I saw that I could make a few tweaks.  The original recipe was:

Ingredients:
1 package (8-1/2 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package (1 pound) hot dogs, halved lengthwise and cut into bite-size pieces
1 can (15 ounces) chili with beans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Prepare the corn bread as instructed on the box and spread half onto the bottom of a greased 8 inch casserole dish.  Soften onion, celery, and green pepper in a saute pan.  Add the hot dog pieces until browned.  Combine with chili and 3/4 cup of cheese and spoon over cornbread layer. Top with remaining cornbread and cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 28-32 minutes.  

I substituted 97% fat free hot dogs, fat free cheddar cheese, and homemade turkey and vegetable chili and eliminated the sugar and oil.  And it was still delicious.  The soft sweetness of the cornbread with the salty, rich goodness of hot dogs and chili make for a comforting combination.  It's really more like a chili cheese corn dog casserole, and if there's one thing I love, it's corn dogs.  


I'm not the only one to make this recipe.  Kristen made a healthy version too using low-fat canned chili and turkey dogs, which makes sense given her blog on health issues.  And Pam (who also has a blog you can read here) made the regular version, which suits her love of hot dogs.  Shared by three friends, this casserole dish full of tasty Americana is worth a shot in your kitchen too.