The Cottage Kitchen: hot dogs

If you're anything like us, during the summer months when the BBQ is front and centre in the garden, most days you'll have some form of hot dog or smokie in your fridge. Oh, I know that there's probably also other things like steaks and salmon and chicken and burgers....you get the picture, but hot dogs just seem to be the one thing that's always there.

With that in mind, what better way is there to use up the last two hot dog buns in the pantry than to make chili dogs - or in this case 'Billy' dogs because I used some of our Billy Beans instead of chili - and even though these can quite easily be baked enclosed in your BBQ, for a quick lunch it's just as easy to pop them in the oven. I've given you an idea of what condiments and flavours went into ours but with this kind of thing the skies the limit on what you want to pack in there - I would of added some chopped onion, only I didn't have any, and of course ketchup or pickles or anything else that gets your taste buds tingling would be delicious.

Chili 'Billy' Dogs
yields as many as you want to make :o)

hot dog buns
hot dogs or smokies (today I used all-beef dogs)
relish
honey mustard
chili or Billy Beans
grated cheese

preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
line a high sided baking tray with aluminum foil and set aside - you want the hot dogs to be packed in together fairly tightly, so I find a standard loaf tin is good for 2, and an 8"x8" pan works good for 4, but use whatever you have.
into each hot dog bun spread the relish and honey mustard, or whatever condiments you are using.
drop in your hot dogs and carefully pack them into your prepared baking tray.
spoon over as much chili (beans) as you want and sprinkle grated cheese over the top.
cover the tray with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the cheese has melted and it's all heated through.
carefully remove them from the tray and enjoy!! All the flavours meld together in the oven and the bun is warm and soft in the middle but with a crispy exterior - delicious!!