Cut Your Corn Dog Down The Middle For A Delicious Chili Dog Bun

Chili cheese dogs make a great snack or meal, depending on how hungry you are. Between the hot dog and the chili, they're packed with plenty of protein. Toss some onions and peppers on top and, together with the bun and the cheese, you've got almost all the food groups covered in one simple item. But what if there were a way to improve on the chili cheese dog further? Well, there actually is! And — another bonus — that improvement makes it even easier to prepare. The key is swapping out the regular old hot dog and bun base for a corn dog.

Let's be honest — that plain hot dog bun has been begging to be replaced for a while now. Not only does it lack much flavor, but it offers very little as far as substance is concerned. However, by cutting your corn dog down the middle and creating a corn dog bun you'll get a much heartier and tastier bread for your chili cheese dog.

Unlike regular hot dogs and buns, there's not really a time limit on frozen corn dogs. Since they can be kept in the freezer for quite a long time (almost nine months according to Tyson Foodservice's labeling on its fully cooked corn dogs) you won't have to worry about them expiring in the refrigerator like hot dogs can or getting moldy on the counter like the buns have a tendency to do. That freezer life makes corn dogs easy to keep on hand for whenever you want to whip up some chili cheese corn dogs.

You can also say goodbye to preparing the hot dog and its bun separately. No more pots of boiling water or hot dogs exploding in the microwave. And forget trying to toast the buns without burning them. Just toss the corn dogs in the air fryer or the oven — easy peasy! Once they're hot all the way through, take them out, slice them down the middle, and you've got the perfect spot to pile on the chili, cheese, and the rest of the accouterments. It's a great way to use up the last of that homemade chili, but if you've got canned chili in your pantry it'll make this quick meal that much easier to have whenever you're craving a chili dog.

Chili cheese corn dogs can get all of the same toppings that you would put on a regular chili cheese dog. In addition to the chili and shredded cheese, they can be loaded up with regular chopped or green onions, canned hatch chiles or jalapeños, pickles or banana peppers, diced bell pepper, cilantro, hot sauce, sour cream or ranch, and much more. Fritos make a great chili cheese corn dog topping too — they add a fun crunch and a delicious burst of flavor. You can even switch out the shredded cheese for cheese sauce. Or use both, no one is going to stop you.

Chili cheese corn dogs can even be made celiac-friendly by using gluten-free corn dogs (which taste way better than gluten-free white hot dog buns anyway). Or make them with vegetarian corn dogs and plant-based chili and you've got a meat-free treat.