In The Kitchen

Yesterday, somewhere between the sun waking up and the baby waking up, I got busy in the kitchen and made hot dog chili. This was for a dinner a church group is serving this afternoon. I can't be there to help serve so I volunteered to do this. Even though I'm "grandmothering" full time, I still like to be involved in my regular activities when I can.

I'm not sure what people in other parts of the country put on top of a hot dog, but here in the South, it's all about the chili. There are many recipes for chili and everyone has their favorite kind but my family thinks this one is the best. It's easy, easy to make and it freezes well, so you can always have some on hand. Here is how I do it:

Hot Dog Chili

1 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 of a 24-oz. bottle of ketchup

1 teaspoon chili powder

salt & pepper to taste

Place everything in a saucepan and mix together. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently as the meat on the bottom browns.  The meat will release it's juices as it cooks making it easier to stir. When it's all brown, cover and simmer on low heat for an hour. Or 30 minutes. Or somewhere in between. Stir every now and then.

NOT browning the meat first will give you a chili with a finer texture that is easily spooned onto the hot dog. This is also one time when I do not want extra lean ground beef. Using the extra lean makes a mushy chili. It will taste good but just doesn't look like I want it to. I never measure the ketchup either. I'll add almost a half bottle and then add more as it cooks until I like the color of the chili.

When I freeze it, I'll often put it into a Ziploc bag and freeze it flat. It will thaw quicker when it's in a thin layer than when it's in a quart container. You can also break off a corner of the flat pack if you only want to thaw a little bit for one or two hot dogs.

Well, this batch was delivered last night. Hope the folks having the hot dog supper today enjoy it.