Chili Dog Chili with Spicy Mustard Cornbread

Ingredients

2 8.5-ounce boxes cornbread mix, recommended brand Jiffy
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard (eyeball it)
Butter or nonstick cooking spray (for greasing baking dish)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 16-ounce package all-beef hot dogs, cut in to small bite-size pieces
2 pounds ground sirloin
2 medium onions, diced

4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped (add more or less depending on how much spice you like)
2 tablespoons (2 palmfuls) chili powder
2 tablespoons (2 palmfuls) cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 to 3 cups beef stock (add a little more or less depending on how loose you like your chili)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red beans, drained
Hot sauce, to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
Carrot and celery sticks

Yields: 4-6 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Prepare the cornbread according to package directions then fold in the corn kernels and spicy brown mustard. Butter or spray a 8x8 baking dish and pour in the mixture. Transfer to oven and bake according to the back of the box. Remove from oven and cut into chunks.

Once you have the cornbread working, start the chili: Heat a large, high-sided pot over medium-high heat with about 2 tablespoons EVOO, two turns of the pan. Add the chopped-up dogs and cook, stirring every now and then until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Remove and reserve the browned dogs.

Add the ground beef to the pot and use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to break it up into small pieces while it cooks and browns, about 4-5 minutes. Once the meat is brown, add the diced onions (reserving some for garnish), garlic, jalapeños, chili powder, cumin, salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Cook until the onions start to get tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, beans, reserved browned hot dogs back to the pot and season with some hot sauce, to taste. Bring the mixture up to a bubble and simmer for 10 minutes.

To serve, ladle up the Chili Dog Chili and top each portion with some cheese and some of the reserved chopped onion. Serve veggies sticks and a chunk of the cornbread alongside.