{Leftover} Chili Dogs
with leftover chili / cheese / chili-spiced green beans
We couldn't resist taking this ballpark favorite and transforming it into a fun weeknight meal. With leftover chili from earlier in the week, just top your hot dogs with cheddar cheese and chopped onions for an authentic chili dog.
Smarts: Chili can separate a bit in the fridge. Be sure to drain off any excess liquid before adding the chili to your hot dogs.
Ingredients
- Onions, medium white - 1/2, diced
- Cheese, cheddar - 3 oz, shredded (look for pre-shredded if you prefer)
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Hot dogs, any type - 4
- Classic American Chili (leftover from Monday) - ~2 cups
- Hot dog buns - 4
- Green beans - 1 lb, trimmed
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/8 tsp
- Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Green beans - Trim green beans. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Onions / Cheese - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Make
- Toss green beans with oil (portion for beans), chili powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Heat a grill pan or large skillet over medium heat. Add green beans to heated pan and saute to get them started cooking. Cover the pan with a lid (it’s okay if it doesn’t fit tightly over the pan you’re using) and steam green beans, shaking the pan frequently, until green beans are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Set green beans aside and squeeze lemon juice over top. Cover them to keep warm.
- Return pan / skillet to medium-high heat and add oil (portion for hot dogs). Add hot dogs and cook on all sides until brown in spots and heated through, 5 to 7 minutes.
- When hot dogs are nearly finished, reheat leftover chili in the microwave. Drain off as much liquid from the chili as possible.
- Toast hot dog buns.
- Fill buns with hot dogs. Set out chili, cheese, and onions so that you can top the dogs as you’d like. Enjoy green beans on the side.
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
12 reviews
This was a very enjoyable quick weeknight meal. I switched things up though, because I was looking for more of a classic hot dog taste. First, I steamed the hot dogs and the buns, then placed a hot dog in each bun and wrapped them individually in foil to keep them warm and soft, until ready to eat. The second change I made was to use an immersion blender on the leftover chili to make more of a chili sauce. The blended beans actually thickened the chili up, making it the perfect consistency to spread over a hot dog. These were a hit and we will be making them again soon!
0 HelpfulEasy because we did the chili before. Green beans were good - but like someone else has mentioned, needed longer than five minutes to cook.
0 HelpfulOverall this was a quick and tasty meal and a great way to use up leftover chili. The green beans weren’t my favorite, and needed to cook longer than 5 minutes for me.
0 HelpfulWe loved this. The chili was just the right level of salt to go with a hot dog. We used frozen green beans. Will be adding this to favorites for a simple meal to put together on a busy night.
0 Helpful