Chili Cheese Corn Dog Bundt #BundtBakers

Hot dogs and spicy beef chili are baked up in a cheesy cornbread batter to create a savory chili cheese corn dog Bundt you can slice up and serve at your next party.

One special treat I loved as a child were the fried corn dogs only sold at ball games in the concession stand. They vied for favorite status with Frito Pie, that is, Fritos served covered in chili, and nachos, crispy tortillas smothered with melted cheese food product. I have no idea if any actual cheese is involved in the making of that sauce but it is fabulous. I would go to a football or baseball game just for the food.

When our host of this month’s Bundt Bakers event decided on tailgating Bundts as our theme, I knew I wanted to create a Bundt that had elements of my favorite ballpark snacks. I started with my mom’s homemade cornbread recipe – it’s the best and I really should share that sometime soon – then I added the rest. Talk about good!

Chili Cheese Corn Dog Bundt

This would be great to take along to any tailgating party or neighborhood potluck.

Ingredients for a 6-cup Bundt pan
1 cup or 180g yellow cornmeal , plus extra for the Bundt pan
1 cup or 125g all-purpose flour, plus extra for the Bundt pan
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup or 180ml milk
3/4 cup or 200g chili - homemade or otherwise. Mine was from this recipe.
3 1/2 oz or 100g extra sharp mature cheddar
3 hot dogs (I used Oscar Meyer because that’s what I can buy here. Use your favorite brand.)
1 large egg
1/4 cup or 60ml canola oil, plus extra for greasing the pan

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C and liberally grease and flour your 6-cup Bundt pan. I used a combination of flour and cornmeal for mine.

Slice the hot dogs into thick circles and fry them gently for a few minutes in a nonstick skillet. This removes some of their moisture. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add in the cheddar cheese and sliced hot dogs, stirring well. I set aside 8 slices to put on the bottom of the Bundt pan before adding the batter. They came out pretty cute so you might want to do the same.

In another bowl, beat together the milk, egg and oil. Beat until fairly smooth, about one minute.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until they are well combine.

If desired, put slices of hot dog around the bottom of your greased and floured Bundt pan. Spoon one third of the batter into the Bundt pan. Spoon half of the chili on top.

Top with the second third of the batter. Add the rest of the chili. Top with the last of the batter. In other words, it goes 1. batter 2. chili 3. batter 4. chili 5. batter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until it's lightly browned on top and pulling away from the sides slightly.

Remove from the oven and let to cool for a few minutes. Turn the Bundt out onto a rack to cool for another 15 minutes before slicing to serve.

Enjoy!

Every month my Bundt Bakers group gets together to bring you creative treats baked in Bundt pans. Sometimes they are savory, most times they are sweet, but they are always delicious. Check out this month’s list below. Many thanks to our host Sue of Palatable Pastime for coming up with this fun theme and all her behind the scene work.

• Boston Cream Mini Bundts from Patty's Cake
• Brown-Sugar Ripple Buttermilk Bundt Cake from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Bundt cake de platano from La mejor manera
• Chili Cheese Corn Dog Bundt from Food Lust People Love
• Chocolate Coffee Bundt Cake with Espresso Glaze from Cookaholic Wife
• Chocolate Guinness Bundt Cake with Cheesecake Filling from Nunca es demasiado dulce
• Chocolate, Walnut and Prune Bundt Cake from Katin špajz
• Cranberry & Beer Breakfast Bundt Cake from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Cranberry Pound Cake from Palatable Pastime
• Giant Party Sub Bundt from Making Miracles
• Lemon and Praline Cold Bundt Cake from Bizcocheando
• Maple Bundt with Cinnamon Glaze from Sweet Sensations
• Orange Cranberry Bundt from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Yellow Vanilla Bundt Cake with Hot Fudge Sauce from Tartacadabra
• Yogurt Bundt Cake from Sneha's Recipe

 

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on the BundtBakers home page.

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Four Alarm Texas Chili #FoodBloggers4TX

Lots of chilies, cumin and chunks of beef, cooked till tender - that's all you need for the most delicious four alarm Texas chili. A bowl of red and you'll taste the fiery spirit of Texas.

Here’s a little story about Texas chili.

The year was circa 2002 on a hot and humid Houston summer evening. My sister had come over for a visit with a pot of chili with beans in tow. You see, she didn’t want to leave it simmering home alone, so she popped it on my stove and turned the heat to low. Those durn beans still weren’t cooked when it was nearing time for bed, so I cooled the pot off and put it in the refrigerator for the night.

The next morning, I put the chili to simmering again. It was summer so our pace was slower than normal but suddenly I realized it was almost time for tennis camp. Our youngest was spending the morning practicing her tennis stroke and serve with friends at a local club.

We scurried around, gathering equipment, lacing up shoes, applying sun cream and dashed off in the car.

Leaving the chili behind on the stove. Still simmering.

Fast forward an hour or so later to a frantic call from my sister who is the first contact when our home fire alarm goes off at the central station.

“Come home! Your alarm is alarming and the firemen are on the way. I’ll meet you there!”

She lives just half a mile from the house so both she and the firemen beat me home by at least 15 minutes. She unlocked the door to billowing smoke. The first fireman then carried the smoking pot out of the house and into the backyard. (The rest of the house was fine. Thank God.)

As the smoke cleared, he peered into the pot. “What was your sister cooking?” he asked.

“Chili,” she replied, never hinting that it was actually her own pot.

“WITH BEANS?!” he responded at great volume, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline.

And, she later informed me in a peal of laughter, that together they both tsk-tsked my absent self. After all, I grew up in Houston. I really should know better.  The nerve.

As I say in my About Me, on this very blog:

“Houston, Texas is my hometown by virtue of sheer years of presence and family still living there: Texas is big and bold and independent and proud. It teaches never give up, never give up, never give up. If you grow up in Houston, Texas, you can go anywhere with confidence.”

As I watch the community efforts and stoic resilience in Houston and all of the affected areas after Hurricane Harvey, I believe that lesson was taught to, and taken to heart by, everyone in Texas.

Today a group of food bloggers is getting together to share Texas recipes, along with a list of possible places to donate time and/or money to help the recovery after Hurricane Harvey. These particular organizations have high scores (85-100 out of a possible 100) on Charity Navigator, which means most of the donations go to helpful services, instead of overhead or soliciting more funds. Or, by all means, give to the charity of your choice! Just check them out on Charity Navigator first.

• Greater Houston Community Foundation 
• Houston Food Bank 
• United Way of Greater Houston 
• South Texas Blood and Tissue Center 
• Food Bank of Corpus Christi 
• L.G.B.T.Q. Disaster Relief Fund 
• Houston Humane Society

Even more are listed in this NPR article: Looking to Help Those Affected by Harvey.

I've made traditional Texas chili - of course, completely beanless, for the occasion.

Four Alarm Texas Chili

Original Texas chili not only does not have beans, it doesn’t have tomatoes either. Yep, that’s right, no tomatoes either. It’s made with chunks of beef, simmered in blend of hot peppers, until tender. Another essential, at least as far as I am concerned, is cumin. I like to use whole cumin near the beginning, then add some ground cumin nearer the end. I call this four alarm Texas chili because it’s got four kinds of peppers, not because it’ll bring the firemen out. (Just don’t leave it home on the stove alone.) We like things spicy! I don’t even remove the seeds, but you surely can if you want to.

Ingredients
2 dried morita chilies, stems removed
2 small hot dried chilies like Arbol or Cascabel, stems removed
2 whole rich fruity dried chilies like Ancho, Mulatto, Negro, or Pasilla, seeds removed
2 whole Chipotle chilies canned in adobo sauce, plus 2 tablespoons sauce, seeds removed
1 kg or 2.2 lbs pounds beef chuck, trimmed of excess gristle and fat (reserve the fat and cut into small pieces)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter (or more as needed)
1 large onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons corn masa - this is the fine precooked corn meal that is used to make tortillas and tamales

To serve: grated cheese, minced onion, saltine crackers

Method
Crush the dried chilies up a little with your hands and put them in a measuring jug. Add boiling water up to the 1 cup or 240ml mark. Cover and set aside to soak.

Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Small pile of chopped fat to the left. 

In a large pot, add the butter and the reserved, chopped fat. Render the fat over a low fire, until it starts frying and turns into liquid plus little crispy bits. Remove the crispy bits with a slotted spoon. (If you are feeling particularly devil-may-care about your heart health, sprinkle them with a little salt and eat them.)

Fry the beef in the rendered fat in at least three batches, until it is well browned on one side. Remove to a deep plate with the slotted spoon.

Sauté the chopped onion until softened in the fat, adding a little more butter if needed. Add in the whole cumin seeds and cook, stirring until they release their fragrance. Ah, smell that? Now we are cooking chili.

Add the chipotle peppers to the measuring jug and use a hand blender to puree all of the peppers into a smooth sauce. (Or put it all in a proper blender, if you don’t have a hand blender.)

Gorgeous color, right? 

Pour the pepper sauce into the onion pot and stir. Cook for a few minutes then add the meat back in. Stir well to coat the meat with the sauce.

Add 1 cup or 240ml water to the pot and bring it to a simmer.

Cover and simmer for 2 hours, checking the water level and stirring occasionally. You do not want it to dry out. Add more water, if necessary.

Sprinkle in the cumin powder, stir and simmer for another 30 minutes or so, still covered.

To thicken the chili, whisk your two tablespoons of masa into about 1/4 cup or 60ml cold water in a small bowl. Use a ladle to add about 3/4 cup or 180ml thin chili gravy (leave the meat behind) to the bowl, whisking as each ladle is added.

After two small ladles. 

Pour the masa mixture into the chili pot. Cook over a medium low heat until the chili thickens, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt to taste and serve.

Enjoy!

And let me also say, this was organized before Hurricane Irma swept in to devastate as she did. Another similar event is being planned to bring attention to those needs and the organizations that are trying hard to meet them.

Check out all of the great Texas recipes we are sharing today!

An InLinkz Link-up

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Hearty Spicy Beef Chili

Beef and beans are simmered with onions, beer and peppers to create this rich hearty spicy beef chili. Eat it with cornbread, rice or chips or on top your favorite cheese omelet or hot dog.

Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you off of trying this wonderful hearty spicy beef chili recipe. It’s rich and satisfying. Once you’ve got everything in the pot, simmer till done!

The other night my husband and I were catching up – he’d been traveling – and I told him about this week’s Sunday Supper event, meal ideas for Father’s Day. What would he like me to make, I asked. Turns out this is an event he could totally get behind! I wielded my pencil and pad and he started the list. Right near the top was the chili cheese omelet he loves from the House of Pie restaurant in Houston.

So, ahead of tomorrow’s Sunday Supper event, when I will share the recipe for my version of that chili cheese omelet, here’s the hearty spicy beef chili you’ll need to make it. Normally, my chili would not have beans, but the House of Pies chili has them so I did what I had to do. Leave 'em out if you'd prefer.

Hearty Spicy Beef Chili

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 lbs 5 oz or 1050g ground beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
1-2 fresh jalapeños, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (more to taste if you like it very hot!)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground cayenne
1 bottle (about 330ml) beer – I used an Adnams IPA.
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups or 360ml beef broth
1 (15-16 oz) can, red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Optional: 2-3 tablespoons masa harina whisked into some cool water.

Optional to serve:
Extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Onion, minced
Fresh jalapeños, sliced
Cilantro, chopped

Method
Fry the ground beef in the olive oil in a large pot until it’s sticky and brown. Add in the onion and peppers and cook till they’ve softened.

Add in the spices and cook for a few more minutes.

Now pour in the beer and use the moisture and steam to deglaze all the good browned sticky bits off of your pot.

Add in the tomato paste, beef broth and then the kidney beans.

Cover the pot and lower the heat to simmer. Cook for one hour or more, checking occasionally and adding some water if the chili is dry.

If you like a thick “gravy” based chili like we do, right at the end of your cooking time, add more water mixed with 2-3 tablespoons masa harina (the flour that is used in making corn tortillas) and bring the chili back to the boil till it thickens.

Serve this hearty spicy beef chili with cornbread, rice or even tortilla chips. (Or over a cheese omelet! Find that recipe here.) A sprinkle of sharp cheddar, minced onions and sliced jalapeños are also tasty.

Enjoy!

Like spicy dishes? Check out my Fish Steamed with Spicy Couscous, Cheesy Jalapeño Corn Casserole, Black Eyed Pea Salad or Saladu Ñebbe and, one of my favorites, Spicy Mexican Noodles.

Or try my chili cheese omelet!

Pin this Hearty Spicy Beef Chili!

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#BaconMonth Round Up for #InternationalBaconDay

Bacon Parmesan Twists

In my humble opinion, every day should be International Bacon Day, and I often treat each as if it were. But, all people rejoice, because today is the actual day. Happy International Bacon Day, everyone! 

In honor of this great holiday - Seriously who's working? Leave me a comment, I'll see what I can do about sending you some bacon in recompense. - I've stopped by every post from every blog in our linky tool for Bacon Month and created a link list, categorized for ease of clicking! We've got everything from Appetizers and Drinks to Cookies and Dessert and lots of great bacon recipes in between.

What are you making with bacon today in celebration? Might I suggest a few recipes from the following 116 links?

Enjoy!

Candied Habanero Bacon 

Appetizers and Snacks

• Bacon and Beer Hushpuppies 
• Bacon Cheddar Croissant Turnovers 
• Bacon Cheeseburger Tachos 
• Bacon Chocolate Covered Popcorn 
• Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes 
• Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Wontons 
• Bacon Gouda Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Bacon Guaca-Hummus 
• Bacon Parmesan Twists 
• Bacon-wrapped Green Hatch Chiles 
• Baked Bacon Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers
• BLT Dip 
• Blue Cheese Almond Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates 
• Candied Habanero Bacon 
• Cheesy Bacon Ranch Popcorn 
• Creamy Corn Bacon Dip 
• Grilled Stuffed Jalapeños with Brown Sugar Bacon 
• Jalapeño Popper Chicken Taquitos 
• Layered Sweet Sour Asian Dip Fried Wonton Dippers 
• Roasted BLT Dip 
• Sweet and Spicy Bacon Cocktail Sausages 
• Warm Bacon Jalapeño Corn Dip 

Drinks

• Bacon Infused Vodka 
• Bacon Habanero Mojitos 
• Funky Junction Milkshakes 
• Spicy Bacon Bloody Mary

Condiments

• Bacon Barbecue Sauce 
• Bacon Jam 
• Balsamic Bacon Onion Relish 
• Bourbon Bacon Jam 

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Cocktail Sausages 

Salads

• Bacon Cantaloupe and Arugula Salad 
• Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
• Bacon Salad Pasta 
• Bacon Salad with Warm Dressing 
• Caribbean Cobb Salad with Spicy Pineapple Dressing 
• Macaroni Salad with Bacon 
• No Mayo Roasted Potato Salad 

Cheesy Bacon Baked Onions

Side Dishes

• Bacon Horseradish Mashed Potatoes 
• Bacon Mozzarella and Tomato Zucchini Boats 
• Charred Skillet Corn with Bacon 
• Cheesy Bacon Baked Onions 
• Fried Potatoes with Bacon and Sugar Snaps Peas 
• Loaded Bacon and Cheese Fries 
• Parmesan Dill Bacon Hasselback Potatoes  
• Pepperjack Bacon Mac and Cheese 
• Slow Cooker Baked Beans 
• Spicy Roasted Bacon Tomato Cauliflower

Spicy Roasted Bacon Tomato Cauliflower

Soups and Chilies

• Bacon Chili 
• Bacon Gazpacho 
• Chicken Bacon White Chili 

BLT Muffins 

Bread 

• Bacon Banana Bread 
• Bacon Breakfast Muffins 
• Bacon Cornbread 
• Bacon Foccacia 
• Bacon Jalapeño Cheesy Bread 
• BLT Muffins 
• Maple Bacon Doughnut Holes 
• Pumpkin Bacon Streusel Muffins 
• Rosemary Potato Bacon Biscuits 
• Spicy Bacon Beer Muffins 

Breakfast

• Avocado Ranch Breakfast Quesadillas 
• Bacon Breakfast Potatoes 
• Bacon Hash Browns 
• Brown Sugar Bacon Waffles 
• Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes 
• Huevos Rancheros with Bacon Tortillas 
• Loaded Waffles 
• Make Ahead Vegetable Bacon Egg Bake Skillet 

Bacon Butty 

Sandwiches

• Bacon Butty 
• BBQ Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwiches 
• Bacon Lettuce Avocado Tomato Chicken Wraps
• BLT Esquites Sandwich 
• Candied BLT Sliders 
• Caprese Tuna BLT 
• Grilled Bacon Fontina Sandwich 
• Not Your Mama’s BLT 

Bacon-wrapped Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken

Main Courses

• 30-Minute Chicken Carbonara Potpie 
• Bacon and Corn Risotto 
• Bacon and Leek Gnocchi 
• Bacon Brocolli Garlic Fried Rice 
• Bacon Buffalo Mozzarella Pizza 
• Bacon Mushroom Beer Alfredo
• Bacon Ranch and Pimento Cheese Stuffed Veggies 
• Bacon Shrimp Pasta Toss 
• Bacon Spinach Rigatoni 
• Bacon Spinach Tomato Pizza 
• Bacon-wrapped Italian Smoked Sausage 
• Bacon-wrapped Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Chicken 
• Baked Potatoes and Chicken Skillet 
• Bean, Bacon and Tomato Bake 
• Black Bean and Bacon Flautas 
• BLT Pizza 
• Cheesy Bacon Ranch Squash Casserole
• Chicken Scaloppini with Bacon 
• Deep Dish Bacon Potato Pizza 
• Easy BLT Pasta 
• Halushki with Bacon and Ricotta Cheese 
• Pasta with Mushrooms, Bacon and Sweet Corn 
• Potato Crust Quiche 
• Spaghetti Carbonara with Browned Butter 
• Spicy Shrimp and Bacon Casserole 
• Three Cheese Caramelized Onion Bacon Frittata 
• Zucchini Bacon Rice Casserole 

Cookies and Bars

• Bacon & Chocolate Chip Cookies 
• Bacon Dark Chocolate Bourbon Cookies 
• Candied Bacon S’mores Pizza 
• Elvis' Puddin Cookies
• Flourless Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies 
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bacon Cookies 

Bacon Dark Chocolate Bourbon Cookies

Desserts and Sweet Treats

• Bacon and Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Maple Frosting 
• Bacon and Fig Bread Pudding 
• Bacon Apple Coffee Cake 
• Bacon Bourbon Peach Ice Cream 
• Bacon Salted Chocolate Truffles 
• Candied Maple Bacon 
• Chocolate Covered Bacon S’Mores 
• Elvis Banana Split with Homemade Peanut Butter Ice Cream 
• Mini Bacon Apple Pies 
• Southern Pecan Pie with Bacon 
• Wired Piggy S’mores Cupcakes 

How to: 

• Bake perfectly crisp bacon 
• Cure your own bacon 
• Make bacon bits at home
• Oven-fry Bacon Oven-fried Bacon 

Once again, many, many thanks to Julie from White Lights on Wednesday for organizing Bacon Month and sponsoring all the cookbook giveaways! 

Chili Cheese Dog Muffins for #MuffinMonday

When you think about it, (or is that just me?) almost anything can be made into a muffin, including a chili cheese hot dog: Spicy chili, sharp cheddar and hot dogs baked in a muffin then topped with more cheese, onions and mustard. Happy Memorial Day! 

This week I am channeling Coney Island and bringing you a chili cheese dog muffin, in honor of Memorial Day, the holiday when we Americans honor and thank the members of the armed forces who  sacrificed their lives in the line of duty to protect our nation. It is also the kickoff to hot dog eating season. Not that we can’t and don’t eat them year round but according to Forbes.com Americans eat an incredible seven billion hot dogs between Memorial Day in May and Labor Day in September. No telling how many of those are chili cheese dogs. But this year at least, a few of them will be muffins.

Ingredients
For the muffins:
2 cups or 250g flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon flakey sea salt or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 oz or 115g extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup or 250g spicy beef chili
1/4 cup or 60ml canola or other light oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup or 120ml water
4 hot dogs (about 7 1/2 oz or 215g total weight) I like all beef Ball Park Franks. (Plus they are on sale this weekend at my Houston grocery store – Score!)

Note: I used homemade beef chili that is very thick, mostly meat, cooked down till there’s not much liquid left. If you are going to use store-bought or juicier chili, cut back on the amount of water.

For garnish:
2-4 tablespoons finely chopped onions
Yellow mustard

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 12-cup muffin tin by spraying with non-stick spray or lining with muffin papers. If you have a kind and generous mother like mine, see if she’ll volunteer for a Dollar Tree run to buy paper liners with little blue and red stars. You can pay her back in chili cheese dog muffins.

Grate your cheddar if it didn’t already come grated and finely chop your onion. Set aside a handful of the cheese for topping.

Slice the hot dogs into small circles and set aside 12 to poke into the tops of the muffins before baking.

Combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cheese in a large mixing bowl.

In another smaller bowl, whisk together your eggs, oil, chili and water.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stop when it’s still quite dry looking.

Toss in the big pile of hot dog circles and stir again.

Divide your batter between the 12 muffin cups.

Sprinkle the tops with the reserved cheese and chopped onions. Add one reserved hot dog circle to each and push it in just a little bit to make it stick.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan and then remove to continue cooling on a wire rack.

Drizzle with a little yellow mustard, if desired. But I say, what’s a chili cheese dog without a generous drizzle of mustard?

Enjoy!

Now go shake a soldier's hand and thank him or her for her service. And pray for peace and that no one need ever make the ultimate sacrifice. And perhaps bake some muffins to share.