Chili slaw dogs are big in the South. I remember my first one at a company called Zesto. They served footlong hotdogs, and I remember my mother always ordering them “all the way”. That meant, chili, slaw, onions, and mustard.
Whenever we had the opportunity for such a treat, I couldn’t take the onions, so I ordered mine with chili and mustard, or with chili, mustard, and coleslaw. I was in hog heaven on those days.
This is my next favorite option for hotdogs, and chili dogs or kraut dogs come in at a close 2nd.
I buy the 24 Nathans Franks at Sam’s and keep them in the fridge in Rubbermaid Brilliance containers. My favorite hotdog is Sabrett’s frankfurters. I will buy these at the Restaurant Depot if I’m having a party or the family over because they are packed in a greater quantity.
When it comes to hotdog size, it depends on who you are serving, but most store-packaged hotdogs come in an 8/1 size. That is 8 franks per pound. If the frank is bun-length, that is a good-sized hotdog.
I also keep the slaw and chili in the Brilliance containers, and I can enjoy chili slaw dogs anytime I want to unless I’ve eaten it all.
In Atlanta, we have the world’s largest drive-in restaurant called The Varsity. Chili slaw dogs are one of my favorite items at this restaurant, and the recipes I have for the components get me very close to my Varsity experience.
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Chili Slaw Dogs
The chili dog in this recipe is based on a beanless soupy meat chili. I never understood chili with beans on a hotdog. Like the Coney Island dog, this mixture smothers the dog and soaks into the bun. Try them with yellow mustard and chopped white onions.
Ingredients
Chili Slaw Dogs
Hot Dog Chili
Coleslaw
Instructions
Chili Slaw Dogs
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Chili Slaw Dog Instructions
If you are able to, you should steam your hotdogs instead of boiling them. This will preserve the flavor of the hotdog better.
If you want a Coney Island-style dog, you should grill them on a flattop griddle.
Also, if you can steam the buns your guests will never forget how great your dogs were.
You can accomplish steaming the dogs and the buns by using a chafing dish. Simply use a wire rack in the bottom of the pan, or a perforated steam pan to steam the items from the water in the bottom of the chafing dishwater pan. It is important that all of your pans are clean.
Heat the Batch Hot Dog Chili in a pot and serve in a chafing dish in a half pan or in a crockpot on warm.
It is important to keep your coleslaw cold, at least 40 but not below 33. You can accomplish this by keeping the serving pan for the coleslaw on ice.
Assemble the dog with the frankfurter, then chili, then coleslaw, and add the mustard anywhere in there that you like. I usually put the mustard on before the coleslaw to help make eating it less messy.
All this goes great for a backyard party or a simple get-together where easy fun food will be enjoyed.
Hot Dog Chili Instructions
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Hot Dog Chili Instructions
Heat a large cast-iron pan or Dutch oven on medium heat. You can use regular cast iron or enamel coated. When the pan or pot is hot, place the entire amount of ground beef in the pan. Add 2 cups of water and break down the meat in the pan with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Stir occasionally and when there is no more pink color in the beef. Add the seasoning ingredients to the beef in the pan and stir well. Stir in 1 cup of water and 1 can of tomato sauce and simmer on low until there is barely any liquid left. You can use it immediately on your hotdogs or burgers. Or, let it cool, then portion it into vacuum seal bags to freeze for later
Southern Coleslaw Instructions
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Southern Coleslaw Instructions
Combine all the dressing ingredients together and toss in the cabbage slaw mix until everything is well blended.
I like my slaw more finely chopped than the shred you will find at the store. You can chop the shredded slaw mix to the size you want or put it in a food processor for a few pulses.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This will allow the salt to pull out the water in the cabbage and help create the dressing.
After an hour, stir completely and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
