Chili Cheese Dog Pot Pies

For the chili sauce:
In a large skillet over medium heat brown the hot dog slices for about 5-8 minutes until lightly browned. Remove the hot dogs from the skillet and set aside. Add the ground beef, onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until the beef is browned and cooked through.

Add the chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Don’t skip this step, it allows the spices to bloom and maximize their flavor. It will make a difference in the flavor of your finished dish.

Stir in the water, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, Frank’s hot sauce and the dry mustard. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. Return the hot dogs to the skillet after the sauce has simmered for 30 minutes. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes more or until most of the liquid is evaporated. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes while you make the cornbread topping.

For the cornbread topping:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, corn meal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir to combine ingredients. Add the egg, milk and vegetable oil and stir to combine. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese.

For the pot pies:
Preheat oven to 375 F.

Place about 3/4 – 1 cup of the chili sauce into individual-sized ramekins or soup crocks. Feel free to add extra cheese if desired. Spread about 1/2 cup of the cornbread batter on top of the pie. I used my ice cream scoop so they would be uniform. I was able to make 6 pot pies with the size of ramekins I used.

Bake at 375 F for 15-18 minutes or until the cornbread is brown.

Cooks Notes:
-Feel free to use a couple of boxes of your favorite corn muffin mix if you are short on time.
-If you want a straight meat sauce: Use 2 pounds of ground beef and omit the hot dogs. The amounts of the other ingredients will remain the same.
-This sauce freezes really well.
-You can also make this dish in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Just assemble the same way and bake at 375 F for about 30 minutes.