When this recipe popped into my email from Rachael Ray et al, I immediately thought of that rather large package of Vienna Beef hot dogs I had in the freezer from our last trip to Costco, and the combination of hot dogs, ground beef, seasonings, cheese, and chips sounded too good to not try.
As it happens, these are pretty darned tasty, and I would happily make them again; tho’ I might use the Cuban ground beef recipe as a base. This beef recipe is good, but that recipe is most excellent.
INGREDIENTS:
•1 tbsp canola oil
•1 pound ground beef
•Seasoned salt
•Black pepper
•4 hog dogs, sliced into 1/2- inch pieces
•1 small onion, chopped
•1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
•2 tbsp Cajun seasoning or chili powder
•2 tsp sugar
•1/2 tsp dried parsley
•1/2 tsp dried oregano
•1/2 tsp cumin
•1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
•Yellow corn tortilla chips
•Shredded cheese (cheddar/jack/whatever you like)
•Sour cream
•Black olives, sliced
•2 scallions, sliced
•Jalapeño nacho slices
Heat the canola oil in a skillet or stir-fry pan over medium heat, then add the ground beef.
Cook the ground beef, breaking it up as you go, for two minutes, then season with salt and pepper and add the hot dog pieces.
Cook for another three minutes, until the beef is mostly cooked through, then add the onion, sugar, Worcestershire, and the seasonings and continue cooking for five minutes more.
Stir in the tomato sauce, bring to a boil, and simmer for five minutes.
Taste for seasonings and adjust as you see fit – this is where I added those two teaspoons of sugar.
Continue cooking to reduce – about another five minutes, then set aside and get ready to make your nachos.
Preheat your broiler.
Arrange the corn chips in a more-or-less single layer on a baking dish – I used my cast iron pizza pan.
Top the chips with the chili dog sauce and then sprinkle with the shredded cheese(s) – I used a four cheese Mexican blend.
Place under the broiler for two to five minutes – just until heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish as you like – we added sliced scallion, black olives, sour cream, and jalapeño slices.
Vienna beef hot dogs, spiced beef, cheese, jalapeños and chips; what’s not to love?