Friday, November 19, 2010

Chili Dog & Tater Tot Casserole

Chili Dog & Tater Tot Casserole

1 package of hot dogs 8 to 10 count (whatever brand and or animal you like)
1 package of Ore Ida Tater Tots 32oz (or whatever type of fried potato product you would prefer)
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer fancy, sharp)
2 cans of chili (with or without beans whatever you like, I prefer Hormel Chili with Beans)
6 TBS ketchup
Various Seasonings to taste *optional*

+ Bake the Tater Tots (or other potato product) following the directions on the package. For the ones listed here its 450 degrees for 18-22 minutes after preheating of course. I like to spray some cooking spray on the sheet pan before I spread out the tater tots and I like to season them with some Old Bay.

+ Cook the hot dogs and warm the chili as you normally would. For me this means putting the hot dogs in a pot and covering them with water, about an inch more than requires them to float. Put the pot over high heat until it comes to a rapid boil. Then I turn the heat down to medium for about 10 minutes. Then shut off the heat until everything else is ready. I put the ketchup in the bottom of a sauce pan, empty the cans of chili in and add my seasonings (I use garlic powder, black pepper, chili powder, paprika, oregano, celery seed, and a dash of HOT chili flake seasoning blend). Then I heat the chili slowly over medium heat stirring often. once it starts to bubble I turn the heat down to medium low. Once the hot dogs get turned off I turn the heat on the chili to low and let it coast.

+ Once all three of these are done (hot dogs, chili, & tater tots) we are ready to assemble. Spray a 13" x 9" baking dish with cooking spray. and make sure the oven is set to 350 degrees after the tots come out.

+ Start with a very thin coating of chili in the baking dish. We just want enough to wet the bottom of the pan so no tater tots burn. Next dump in the tater tots and arrange them so that they cover the bottom of the bottom in one layer, or as close to that as you can get. Next cut the hot dogs up into half inch chunks ( I generally just use a fork to do this) and spread them in a layer over the tater tots. Next spoon in the chili, trying to get it over everything again in a nice layer. Lastly we sprinkle on the cheddar cheese. Again we want good even coverage in a layer. This whole process is kind of like making a lasagna.

+ Put the casserole into the oven for 20 - 30 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown. Remove and let stand for 5 minutes then serve.

+ If desired each person can add the usual hot dog toppings. IE Mustard, Ketchup, Relish, etc. I prefer it as it but to each their own.

This recipe serves 6 at 769 calories per serving. It is a good alternative for people who want to cut down on calories and or carbs but still enjoy the taste of a good chili dog.

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I hope you enjoyed this recipe. If you cook this I'd love to hear what you thought. Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome day!

1 comment:

  1. I just made this recipe tonight. It is baking right now. I know my family will love it. I needed something different to make for once. Something daring and exciting.

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