Description
A nostalgic and crowd-pleasing game day recipe featuring soft hot dog buns, homemade chili, and melted cheddar cheese, baked to perfection in a single pan.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 hot dogs or franks
- 24 oz chili (homemade or canned)
- 1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 12 hot dog buns
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp oil (for cooking)
- Optional: diced pickles, jalapeños, or onions for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain excess grease, leaving about a tablespoon.
- Stir in tomato paste, cumin, and chili powder. Cook for 1 minute to toast spices. Add canned tomatoes and water if making from scratch, or heat canned chili and stir in spices. Simmer for 10 minutes until thick. Set aside.
- Slice hot dog buns in half horizontally to create 24 bun halves. Optionally, lightly toast the cut sides in a dry pan for 30 seconds to prevent sogginess.
- Place bun halves, cut side up, in a 9×13 baking dish.
- Cut each hot dog in half lengthwise and place one half on each bun bottom.
- Spoon a generous amount of chili over each hot dog.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the chili.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 2 minutes before serving.
Notes
Toast buns first to prevent them from getting soggy. Use sharp cheddar for better melting and flavor. Chili should be thick, not soupy, to maintain slider structure. Can be assembled up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated before baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slider (one half-b
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 12
Keywords: tailgate, chili cheese dog, sliders, game day, football food, comfort food, easy recipe, crowd pleaser