Chili Cheese Dog Casserole

Taste of Home Casseroles Recipe Cards, p. 46

1 package (8 ½ ounces) corn bread/muffin mix

1 cup chopped green pepper

½ cup chopped onion

½ 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

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Prepared corn bread batter according to package directions. Spread half the batter into a greased 8-in. square baking dish; set aside.

In a large skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and celery in oil until crisp-tender. Stir in hot dogs; saute 3-4 minutes longer or until lightly browned. 

They only had orange bell peppers at the co-op. Also I forgot to buy an onion.

Stir in the chili, brown sugar, garlic powder and chili powder; heat through. Stir in ¾ cup cheese.

Spoon over corn bread batter; top with remaining corn bread batter. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.

Bake, uncovered, at 350F for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Look at all that cheesy cornbread!

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Because to be fair, it's a lot cleaner to eat a sloppy hot dog with a fork.

My Rating: 4/5 "This is a little heavy on the cornbread, but fortunately I adore cornbread so I was all about it. The savory filling is a nice counterpart to the sweeter top and bottom. And all the chili cheese dog flavors you love are present and accounted for!"