Chili Cheese Dogs

I've been trained (for years) to eat on a budget. This means I HATE to waste food. That being said, I'd made a big batch of homemade tomato sauce (well, it was half-homemade. I used a store-bought light Ragu sauce that I loaded with my own ingredients, like fresh garlic, mushrooms, fresh diced tomatoes, onions, and extra lean ground beef) and had lots left over. I was eating it over the next few days with a small bowl of pasta and lots of side veggies.

But I needed something different. I avoid food ruts like the plague (hence the creation of Something New Thursdays!) and was getting bored. The kids were, too.

We had some Schneiders all-natural beef wieners in the fridge (have you tried them?! They're excellent!) and decided to combine them with our leftover meat sauce to make chili dogs. I'd always wanted to try them, and I LOVE hot dogs, so I was excited.

Looking at this picture makes me want more.

I heated up the spare meat sauce (maybe a cup worth?) on the stove top and threw in a tbsp of chili powder and a pinch of cumin. We didn't have any beans to add (boo) but we definitely will next time, because that was the only thing that we missed that we thought would make our chili dogs perfect!

While our hot dogs were boiling and the sauce was simmering, I laid out a slice of multigrain, whole wheat bread and placed a slice of light cheese on each. Then I added the hot dogs and 1/4 cup of "chili" on top, and voila! A spicy, cheesy and delicious chili dog!

This treat was 8 points for one and will be had in the future on a "treat-only" basis. Paired up with a handful of freh and colorful veggies = YUM!

What's your favorite way to enjoy your hot dog?