crowd pleasing chili cheese dogs

Okay, the picture may not be pretty, but these hot dogs are pretty darn good. This is a meal that is sure to please both your meat-eating and vegetarian friends - even the picky ones. My carnivore loves when we have this meal. What he doesn't know is that I sneak in nutrients by using whole grain buns, veggie filled chili, and organic calcium rich cheese. This is also a great menu idea for those of you with little ones as well.

You will need:
a package of whole grain buns
a package of hot dogs (My meat-eater recommends Nathans or Hebrew National as the contain 100% beef and not weird fillers.)
a package of fake hot dogs (I like Smart Dogs)
organic american cheese (Either slices - which I prefer - or shredded - which my carnivore likes)
and vegetarian chili (You can either get canned from Amy's or make your own.)

My carnivore is in charge of grilling at our house. He recommends spraying the fake hot dogs with cooking oil before placing them on the grill. Also, be sure to use separate tongs for the meat and the soy hot dogs! The trick is to know when they are done. Remember the soy dogs are made of vegetables, so they just need to be warmed up. I, however, like my a little charred. While he is outside grilling, he also toasts the buns and adds the cheese at the end. In the meantime, I heat up the chili inside. Once the dogs are done, pile it all together and enjoy!

menu idea:
Combine these chili cheese dogs with fresh grilled corn (while you have the grill hot anyway), tater tots, or onion rings. Your kids and husbands will chow them down in no time. And, don't feel too bad about not seeing anything green on your plate. Remember, that vegetarian chili is packed with tomatoes (vitamin C), kidney beans (fiber), garlic (vitamin B6) and other nutritious goodness. If you still feel guilty, add a small side salad or finish the meal with fresh fruit for dessert (for example, watermelon would be fantastic).

(In case you were curious, the fake hot dogs are pictured above. Uncanny resemblance to the real things, right?)