Wrigley Hot Dog Casserole

Great for kids and the young at heart! There are so many regional variations of the all-American hot
dog, but I chose to use this one for this recipe because it makes a striking casserole. Its inspiration came from “The Chicago Dog”, a Wrigley Field staple. – Tara

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces slab (rind removed) or thick-cut bacon, cut into small cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
• Pinch salt and black pepper
• 2 (16-ounce) packs hot dogs, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, shredded (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until the fat renders, 15-20 minutes. Remove bacon and place on paper towels to drain. Discard half the fat from pan.
3. Cook the onions and celery in the remaining fat over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one more minute.
4. Add the tomatoes, bacon, stock, salt, pepper, and hot dogs and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and carefully transfer to your 2 quart temp-tations® dish. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.
5. Stir in lemon juice and basil before serving.

Tara’s Tidbits™: Make sure you serve this with plenty of crusty bread, pasta or even mashed potatoes – as long as you have something to mop up the juices. If you’d like, you could also sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top, just for fun.