Paula Dean's Texas-Style Chili Dogs

There is certainly more chili here than for 4 hot dogs. Following this recipe, each hot dog would be topped with 1 pound of meat and 12 ounces of beans. Another recipe I found uses 1 pound of beef and 1 can of beans for 12 hot dogs. Reviewer's said they found the chili bland and doctored it up a bit.

For the Texas-Style Chili:
3 pounds ground chuck
1 pound hot bulk sausage
3 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, chopped
3 (16-ounce) cans kidney beans

4 hot dogs
4 hot dog buns
1 cup grated Cheddar

Using a Dutch oven, combine the ground chuck, sausage, onions, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until the meat is browned, stirring the meat to break it up as it cooks. Drain the pan drippings. Stir in the chili powder, flour, sugar, oregano, salt, and stir well. Cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and beans, and simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat a grill. Butterfly, or gently slice hot dogs lengthwise, making sure not to cut all the way through. Grill butterflied hot dogs until done, approximately 5 minutes. Place the buns on the grill to warm them. Place hot dogs in the bun. Put the hot dog on the plate with split side facing up. Ladle chili over and top with cheese.