Chili Cheese Corn Dog Casserole Supreme!

This isn't exactly the "healthiest" posting, but I am so overjoyed that one of my best friends, Sara, actually tried a recipe I sent her, then forwarded it to one of my other best friends, Pam, who also made it! And I think they even liked it.

I happened upon this highly-rated recipe on the internet when I was trying to find a way to get rid of the turkey and chicken hot dogs that had been in our freezer for months. I originally bought them on sale as a potential alternative to regular hot dogs, but they didn't actually taste so great on their own. This casserole experiment worked well, however - neither my husband nor I could really tell the difference from your run-of-the-mill quality beef franks when the hot dogs were mixed in with the other ingredients.

I am delighted to report that after I shared the somewhat unhealthy (but oh so delicious) recipe with Sara, she found a way to make it healthier for her diet! I had made some substitutions of my own when I tried it by using low-fat chili, excluding the sugar in the original recipe, and substituting the above-mentioned turkey/chicken hot dogs.

And as it turns out, both Sara and I discovered that all the added fat and sugar were not really necessary to make this a flavorful and delectable dish.

For anyone who likes corn dogs and chili dogs, you will LOVE this casserole. This recipe also has some serious child-pleasing potential. And with a few substitutions, it's really not that bad for you!

Check out Sara's blog for the recipe and other tasty details!

For more information on how to make your favorite recipes a bit healthier, check out some of these great resources:

• Mayo Clinic's Guide to Ingredient Substitutions
• Substitutions for Flours, Sweeteners, Dairy, and Fats in Baking from Chef in You
• The American Heart Association's Healthy Substitutions List
• Ideas for Remaking Old Favorites from Food Renegade

Original Recipe and Photo Credit: Taste of Home