Christi Found the Kitchen: Oven Baked Chili Dogs

I found this on the inspirational blog of the week, 5 Dollar Dinners. I'll tell you up front. If you are a hot dog snob (guilty), this will not be a $5 dinner. Unless you are one of those fantastic sales and coupon shoppers or you just put some weenies in the oven and eat them plain. That's up to you. I won't stop you, but then you'd miss a thing of culinary beauty.

I stood in the grocery store line with my buggy o' goodies and kept thinking to myself, "Who puts mayo on their hotdog? Maybe it's a northern thing. I don't remember Sonic selling a mayo dog, though. I'm leaving it off. Wait, maybe its supposed to be like that Dijonaise stuff that came out in the 90's. That isn't bad. Oh, my turn."

Sometimes I even have Paula Deen's voice in my head while I'm cooking. Read this next part slowly for the full effect. She tells me, "You don't have ta chawp fayast, becawse (buhcahs?) you don't wont ta cut yourself." She forgot to talk to me tonight. Nearly chopped off a digit. There's blood on my ceiling, I tell you. Sigh. I'll live, though.

So anyways...Erin links back to this site for her recipe inspiration, which links to ...tada...THIS one. Finally, I have my answer. The mayo is important. Thank goodness for people who give credit for their inspiration. So..Alyssa, who's dad has been making this for the family since forever, is from Texas just like me. There went my 'must be a northern thing'. Oh well.

Here's what you need.

Like how I included "counter space" in that visual for you? You're welcome.

8 hot dogs (I bought the good ones b/c I told you..I'm a hot dog snob) - 5.49

8 buns - 2.79

mayo

spicy mustard

1/2 an onion, diced

chili - 2.29

shredded cheese - 1.67

Comes out to about 1.50/dog. Can't get one this good at the ball park for that, I guarantee!

I mixed some mayo and mustard up in a bowl, and I didn't measure. But one step is better than two. You'll spread it on the insides of the buns (both sides), then put the hot dogs in. Line them up in a 9x13 pan.