Chili Dog Casserole
This Chili Dog Casserole has all the flavors of the classic American chili cheese dog but in an easy to serve baked form! It's so simple to make using crescent rolls and a quick, but flavorful homemade beef chili. Topped with gooey cheese, it will be the hit of any summer barbecue or potluck.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the Hot Dog
- 8 jumbo hot dogs
- 8 slices Borden American Cheese Melts or Borden Extra Sharp Cheddar Melts slices
- 8 ounce can crescent rolls
- 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
For the Chili
- 1 pound ground beef, chicken, or turkey
- 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 20 ounce can tomato sauce
- 12 ounces chili sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Topping Options: shredded cheddar cheese, diced onion, pickle relish, mustard, and/or ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
- If using homemade chili, make first. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, cooking until the onion is soft.
- Stir in tomato sauce, chili sauce, chili powder, and brown sugar. Let the chili simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Taste and adjust with salt, black pepper, and/or more brown sugar.
- Unroll the package of crescent rolls on a cutting board, and press the seams together.
- Lay Borden American Cheese Singles in an even layer, covering the crescent rolls. Score the crescent rolls with a knife between each slice of cheese.
- Take a hot dog and wrap it with one square of the crescent roll and cheese.
- Place the wrapped hot dogs in the prepared dish in one row in the center. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and discard the foil. Brush the tops with melted butter. Pour the homemade chili around the wrapped hot dogs.
- Return the casserole to the oven uncovered and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until everything is heated through and the crescent rolls are golden brown on top.
- Add your desired toppings and serve.
Notes
Storage:
Store any leftover chili hot dog casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
While you can freeze leftovers also, I can't guarantee the texture will be the same once it thaws. It's best to enjoy fresh out of the oven!
This is a great casserole to prep in advance. Make the chili and assemble the hot dogs, storing the casserole dish in the fridge. When it's time to enjoy, follow the layering and baking instructions.
Tips:
- Layer the baking dish according to the recipe. You want to par-bake the hot dogs with crescent rolls first before adding chili and cheese. This ensures the crescent rolls fully bake through in the oven.
- Use a low fat ground beef and drain off any excess fat after browning. This will prevent a greasy chili and ultimately a grease casserole.
- Buy jumbo-sized hot dogs. These are the best size to make sure you get a delicious bite every time.
- If you want a shortcut, you can use store-bought canned chili here, but I highly recommend making it from scratch if you have the extra time - it only takes 15 minutes!
- Test if the casserole has finished baking by inserting a paring knife into the center of the casserole to see if the crescent rolls are cooked through.
Tried this recipe?Mention @dinnerin321 or tag #dinnerin321!