Minnesota Gopher Hot Dog

Indianapolis recently hosted the Big 10 basketball tournament. As part of the event, the Levy restaurant group in Chicago produced unique hot dogs that highlight each of the Big 10 teams. I came across a copy of the list of the dogs recently, and just had to make each of them. These Minnesota Gopher hot dogs were fantastic. Spicy chili, crunchy onions, even crunchier Fritos, and ooey gooey cheese sauce. Nice and messy, like a great dog is supposed to be!

Minnesota Gopher Hot Dog

A nice twist to these Minnesota Gopher hot dogs would be to swap out the Fritos with BBQ or chili Fritos. And for a little extra kick, use a jalapeno cheese sauce. You’ll be happy you did!

For a full list of all of the Big 10 team hot dogs, click here and enjoy!

Minnesota Gopher Hot Dog
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5 from 1 vote

Minnesota Gopher Hot Dog

These Minnesota Gopher hot dogs were fantastic. Spicy chili, crunchy onions, even crunchier Fritos, and ooey gooey cheese sauce. Nice and messy, like a great dog is supposed to be!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword hot dogs
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 1474kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cook or grill the dogs as desired.
  • Toast the buns, if desired (I always do).
  • Add dogs to buns.
  • Top with chili and cheese sauce.
  • Sprinkle with onion and Fritos and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 1474kcal | Carbohydrates: 156g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 76g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 4045mg | Potassium: 1065mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 2699IU | Vitamin C: 223mg | Calcium: 545mg | Iron: 12mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Wiz Dogs

I have a habit of copying recipes from restaurants or food trucks I hear about or see on TV. Here lately I’ve been on a major campaign to copy some of the crazy great dogs from Duke’s Gourmet Dogs in Minster, Ohio, which closed recently. Sadly. Warm chili. Crunchy potato straws (an ingredient I haven’t had in years). And my favorite, ooey gooey cheese sauce. Lots and lots of cheese sauce. Wiz dogs are crazy good.

Like I’ve said before, if it’s going to be messy to eat, it’s going to taste great and Wiz dogs are definitely messy and therefore, great to eat!

Wiz Dogs

I was tempted to add a few chopped jalapenos to these Wiz dogs. I like some kick to my dogs but I went another route and used spicy cheese sauce instead. Nothing beats cheese on a hot dog. Except for maybe macaroni-and-cheese. Yes, on a hot dog.

Try my Charlie Mac dog too.

Wiz Dogs
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5 from 1 vote

Wiz Dogs

Like I’ve said before, if it’s going to be messy to eat, it’s going to taste great and Wiz dogs are definitely messy and great!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword hot dogs
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 360kcal
Author Based on a menu item from Duke’s Gourmet Hot Dogs

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Fire up your grill and cook the dogs and warm the buns.
  • Assemble hot dogs by adding weiners to the buns. Top with plenty of chili, potato straws and plenty of cheese sauce.
  • Top with jalapeno slices, if desired.
  • Serve with plenty of paper towels.

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 1009mg | Potassium: 240mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 674IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Molasses Chili Steak Marinade

I don’t usually marinate my steaks. It just kinda depends on how I feel that day. Today, I wanted to turn a pretty standard steak into something completely not standard. This molasses chili steak marinade definitely did that. You get some sweet, but it’s not overwhelming at all. Not in the least. You get that great southwestern chili flavor. And hints of soy and rice vinegar. And best of all, you can still taste the steak. That’s why I bought one, ya know? I still want to taste meat, but I don’t mind making it a bit different.

Molasses Chili Steak Marinade

Because of the molasses and brown sugar you have to keep the time the steak spends over direct heat to a minimum. That high heat will definitely give you a char quick. Just sear it off and then move it to indirect heat to finish cooking. Just before you cook up your steak, make a batch of my jalapeno and onion steak topping and keep it warm until you’re ready to slice into that tasty meat.

If you’re feeling in the mood for spicy, substitute hot chili powder, a little or a lot. Also try my Asian steak marinade.

For the perfect meat-and-potatoes meal side dish, make my roasted spiral potatoes.

Molasses Chili Steak Marinade
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5 from 1 vote

Molasses Chili Steak Marinade

Today, I wanted to turn a pretty standard steak into something completely not standard. This molasses chili steak marinade definitely did that.
Course Marinade
Cuisine American
Keyword marinade, spicy, steak, sweet
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 273kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Whisk together all ingredients except for the steaks.
  • Pour marinade into the bottom of a large resealable container, or divided between two containers large enough to hold each steak.
  • Add steaks. Coat bottoms well then flip and coat other sides.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, flipping the steaks every 15 minutes.
  • Cook as you normally would. Note that since the marinade contains molasses and brown sugar the steaks will char if left over high heat for very long. Sear your steaks over high heat then finish them over indirect heat to prevent burning.

Nutrition

Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1600mg | Potassium: 844mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 59g | Vitamin A: 1188IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Chili Crunch Burger

I’ve been jonesin’ really bad for a really good burger. A loaded burger, with lots of spicy kick to it. So I fired up my grill and proceeded to make a big ole chili crunch burger. Spicy chili. Crunchy chips. Sweet onions. Hot jalapenos. All topped with fiery habanero cheese. Yeah, baby, spicy messy burger time!

Chili Crunch Burger

There is nothing but goodness in every bite of this chili crunch burger. Chili and yummy burger juices will run down your arm. That goes with my ‘messier is better’ motto. Melted cheese will drip onto your plate. That’s why you want to keep a few extra Fritos around so you can scoop up the fallen chili and cheese. It’s like having bonus dip on your plate.

Although I prefer fresh jalapenos, sometimes they aren’t available. That’s when I substitute canned (not pickled) chopped jalapenos. My favorite are fire-roasted. The roasting adds a great sweet charred flavor to any dish.

I like to use a burger press when I make burgers. It, in combination with some patty papers, enables me to crank out a whole bunch of equally-sized burger patties in no time at all with little cleanup.

Also try my creamy mushroom burger.

Chili Crunch Burger
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Chili Crunch Burger

 I fired up my grill and proceeded to make a big ole chili crunch burger. Spicy chili. Crunchy chips. Sweet onions. Hot jalapenos. All topped with fiery habanero cheese. Yeah, baby, spicy messy burger time!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword burgers, chili, corn chips
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 496kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place beef in a large bowl.
  • Season with salt, pepper and cayenne and mix well. Form into 8 1/4 pound patties.
  • Grill burgers as desired.
  • Place cooked patties on bun bottoms.
  • Top with cheese, a few tablespoons of the chili, the onion, and jalapeno.
  • Add a few corn chips and the bun top and serve (with paper towels!).

Nutrition

Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 406mg | Potassium: 421mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 343IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 256mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Chili Sauce for Chicken Fingers

I admit, not every meal I cook is from scratch. I’d say maybe 99% of them are home-cooked. But for that other 1% I’m a sucker for something pre-cooked, and often it’s pre-cooked chicken fingers (I use Tyson’s Crispy Chicken Strips, actually). I can’t help it. I like them. To make myself feel better about eating them I make my own sauce for dipping. This chili sauce is easy to make, which fits in well with the I-don’t-have-time-to-cook-dinner theme, and it goes great with chicken fingers.

Chili Sauce for Chicken Fingers

A little sweetness and a little fruitiness. Chili Sauce for chicken fingers is also perfect for dipping nuggets. Oh, that reminds me, check out my homemade chicken nuggets! It’s also fantastic for shrimp, boiled or deep fried. You can use thawed frozen mango and canned pineapple instead of fresh, making this sauce easy to make any time of the year.

These little sauce dipping cups are great for serving this sauce. They’re easy to clean up, too. And they’re also great for dipping nuggets, tenders or even chicken wings.

Also try my copycat of Chick-fil-A’s chicken finger dipping sauce or my firecracker dipping sauce.

This recipe is based on a recipe from Ask Chef Dennis.

Chili Sauce for Chicken Fingers
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Chili Sauce for Chicken Fingers

This chili sauce is easy to make, which fits in well with the I-don’t-have-time-to-cook-dinner theme, and it goes great with chicken fingers.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken fingers, dipping sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Calories 308kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  • Serve cold or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1276mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 71g | Vitamin A: 470IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Slow Cooker Lone Star State Chili

Nothing beats a big pot (er…. slow cooker) of chili slow cooking all day long on a cold day. This slow cooker Lone Star State chili is pretty much your standard fantastic, beefy, yummy chili. With plenty of kick, of course. Do not fear adding more jalapenos – they do mellow a bit as the chili cooks throughout the day. This is a great, easy chili.

Slow Cooker Lone Star State Chili

For a nice twist on any recipe that uses canned diced tomatoes substitute fire-roasted diced tomatoes instead. They add so much more flavor than just ‘regular’ ole tomatoes. Specially to this slow cooker Lone Star State chili. If you’re lucky enough to live where there are good fresh tomatoes this time of year, put 3-4 onto the grill (or under the broiler) for a few minutes until they are nice and charred. Skin them, dice them and toss them into this chili for even more great tomato flavor.

Although it’s not a requirement, I prefer to brown any meats before I put them into the slow cooker. The browning adds color (of course) and a much better texture. And more flavor. In fact, I might just say it is a requirement!

Also try Roger Staubach’s chili-in-a-bag.

Slow Cooker Lone Star State Chili
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Slow Cooker Lone Star State Chili

This slow cooker Lone Star State chili is pretty much your standard fantastic, beefy, yummy chili. With plenty of kick, of course. Do not fear adding more jalapenos – they do mellow a bit as the chili cooks throughout the day.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword chili, crockpot, slow cooker
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 520kcal
Author Mike

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Lightly brown the bacon and chuck in a large skillet.
  • Drain and transfer to a slow cooker set to low.
  • Add remaining ingredients.
  • Stir and cook 8 hours or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Add water if the chili gets too thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 1045mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2869IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Three-Meat Spicy Chili

I’m pretty much in cold weather cooking mode this week. Time-to-hunker-down, it’s-brrrr-cold-outside cooking mode. Anything I make is gonna have to warm me up and keep me warm. Time to make three-meat spicy chili! Great meaty flavor, beans, and of course, a spicy kick. I know it’s not ‘traditional’ but I love Italian sausage in chili. Love it! It adds so much more flavor than using boring ground beef!

Three-Meat Spicy Chili

This chili also is full of one of my other favorite flavors: chipotles in adobo. Chipotles add that great smoky flavor, and just enough heat that you’re going to notice it. The chili comes out rich and flavorful, absolutely perfect for a cool fall day. I make sure to make a big batch of three-meat spicy chili and freeze some of the extra in single-portion containers for easy lunches throughout the week.

I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make this soup and pretty much darned near anything like it on my stovetop. It’s nice and big and sturdy. That extra weight helps it maintain and distribute heat perfectly. As an added bonus, it’s actually pretty easy to clean up too!

Also try my McIlhenny chili. It’s flat-out fantastic too.

Three-Meat Spicy Chili
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Three-Meat Spicy Chili

I’m pretty much in cold weather cooking mode this week. Time-to-hunker-down, it’s-brrrr-cold-outside cooking mode. Time to make three-meat spicy chili! 
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword chili, spicy
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 417kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Crumble the meats into a large Dutch oven or pot over high heat.
  • Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned. Drain any fat that accumulates, if desired.
  • Reduce heat to medium-high.
  • Add the minced garlic, bell peppers, chipotles, onion, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the peppers and onion have started to soften.
  • Add the tomatoes and beer. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and let simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  • Add more salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Add the beans and heat through, about 10 minutes.
  • Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 443mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1222IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Copycat Wendy’s Chili

My wife and I were on our way to Gatlinburg, TN, tootin’ along down the interstate, when lunch time crept up on us. A glance at the GPS showed that our choices were pretty much fast food or nothing. A hankerin’ for a Wendy’s burger came over me, so into Wendy’s we went. My wife got the chili. And it was good, which of course meant that I instantly started searching for a copycat version of Wendy’s chili. And here it is. A little thicker than the real deal served at Wendy’s, but definitely a great copycat of the fast food favorite.

Copycat Wendy's Chili

This copycat Wendy’s chili is about as easy as you can get to make, yet it is quite tasty and has great texture. It’s not hot, but it can be by just adding cayenne or substituting hot chili powder for the mild. You can also substitute cubed chuck for the ground beef for a more traditional chili. Cincinnati chili lovers need only add a bit of cinnamon. And yes, if you like your chili with pasta, you can serve it over pasta.

I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make this chili and pretty much darned near anything like it on my stovetop. It’s nice and big and sturdy. That extra weight helps it maintain and distribute heat perfectly. As an added bonus, it’s actually pretty easy to clean up too!

Also try my copycat of Cin Chili, the best chili mix ever.

Copycat Wendy's Chili
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5 from 1 vote

Copycat Wendy’s Chili

Here it is. A little thicker than the real deal served at Wendy’s, but definitely a great copycat of the fast food favorite.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword chili, copycat
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 483kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Brown ground beef in a large pot. Drain.
  • Add the water. Bring to a boil, then drain completely to remove more fat.
  • Add remaining ingredients.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 3 hours, stirring often.

Nutrition

Calories: 483kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 438mg | Potassium: 1104mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1049IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 7mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Copycat Cin Chili

I’m a huge fan of Cin Chili Texas-style chili mix. It has a tremendous southwestern flavor with just enough kick, but not so much as to scare anyone off. Whenever I’m in Cincinnati I swing by Jungle Jim’s and grab a few packs of mix. But, sadly, sometimes I can’t make it to Jungle Jim’s. So I searched around and came across this copycat Cin Chili recipe. This mix makes downright good chili. It’s mighty close to the original. Close enough. There’s nothing but good flavor in this chili.

Copycat Cin Chili

I add beans to my chili. I know, I know. Texas chili supposedly doesn’t contain beans (or ‘filler’ as some refer to it). If I was serving this chili over hot dogs I’d probably leave the beans out.

This copycat Cin chili is super easy to make. I whisk each spice mix in small bowls so I just add them in when needed. In no time at all I’m enjoying great chili.

Also try my copycat of the chili from Wendy’s.

Copycat Cin Chili
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5 from 1 vote

Copycat Cin Chili

This mix makes downright good chili. It’s mighty close to the original. Close enough. There’s nothing but good flavor in this chili.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword beef, chili, copycat
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 356kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Spice mix #1

Spice mix #2

Spice mix #3

Instructions

  • Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot.
  • Add meat and brown. Drain excess fat.
  • Stir in the beef broth and tomato sauce.
  • Stir in spice mix #1. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir in spice mix #2. Add beans if using. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If chili gets too thick add a little water.
  • Stir in spice mix #3. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Serve garnished with your favorite toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 438mg | Potassium: 499mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1724IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Southern-Style Picnic Hot Dogs

Sure, these southern-style picnic hot dogs are easy to make. And they’re good! Nothing beats the crunchy coolness of a good slaw with the heat of a nice hot chili sauce! Yum! Nothing fancy, just great! Great for a big cookout or picnic, it doesn’t get any easier.

Southern-Style Picnic Hot Dogs

These southern-style picnic hot dogs made for a quick dinner the other night. I used packaged slaw mix with Marzetti light slaw mix. While the dogs were grilling I warmed the chili.

Also try my delicious southwestern hot dog.

Southern-Style Picnic Hot Dogs
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5 from 1 vote

Southern-Style Picnic Hot Dogs

Sure, these southern-style picnic hot dogs are easy to make. And they’re good! Nothing beats the crunchy coolness of a good slaw with the heat of a nice hot chili sauce! Yum! Nothing fancy, just great! Great for a big cookout or picnic, it doesn’t get any easier.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword hot dogs, southern
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 234kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

  • 8 hot dogs grilled
  • 8 hot dog buns toasted
  • 2 cups coleslaw divided
  • 1 can chili without beans heated

Instructions

  • Serve dogs on buns, topped with coleslaw and chili!

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 524mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 18IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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