Recipe | The OP Frito Pie Dog

4 OP frankfurters 

4 hot dog buns  

1 cup Fritos  

I cup of OP Chili (or your grandmother’s signature chili, we won’t be offended)

½ cup Cheddar Cheese Sauce (or shredded cheese, if you must)

4 tablespoons sour cream

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Grill or gently boil your OP frankfurters, then lovingly nestle them into their buns. In all likelihood, they’ll stick out a couple of inches on both ends, and that’s how we like ‘em.
2. Sprinkle ¼ cup of Fritos on top of each frank, gently pressing them down so that they don’t jump ship. Smother the Fritos in ¼ cup chili (see recipe below), and 2 tablespoons cheese sauce (see recipe below) or shredded cheese.
3. Garnish each Frito Pie Dog with 1 tablespoon each of sour cream and green onions, then eat them with gusto, and go back to filling out your brackets.  

OP CHILI RECIPE

Serves 4

⅓ cup canola or olive oil

½ white onion, small diced

1 jalapeño, small diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef

¼ cup tomato paste

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¼ cup yellow mustard

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire

1 12-ounce can diced tomatoes

¼ teaspoon celery seed, toasted and ground

¼ teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground

¼ teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large heavy Dutch oven or soup pot on medium-high, and cook onions, garlic and jalapeños until soft and aromatic, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef, and cook through, then add the tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard and brown sugar, and cook until thick and syrupy. Add the diced tomatoes and Worcestershire, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, and cook the chili for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Add the celery, cumin, and chili powder, and mix well, then add salt and pepper to taste.

OP CHEDDAR CHEESE SAUCE RECIPE 

Makes 2 cups  

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup whole milk

½ cup beer (preferably Old German)

½ white onion, small diced

1 tablespoon cornstarch

5 ounces American cheese, cut up

2 ounces white cheddar, grated

2 swipes of fresh nutmeg

1. In a large saucepan, combine the heavy cream, milk, beer, and onions. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.   
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch and a teaspoon of the hot cooking liquid to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the saucepan, and bring back to a boil to thicken. Lower the sauce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
3. Stir in the American cheese and white cheddar, ¼ cup at a time, letting each addition melt. Add the nutmeg, strain the cheese sauce through a fine mesh sieve, and salt and pepper to taste.