Dogs Hidden in Chili Cheese Cups

Often when we have Beans and Hot Dogs, I’ll make 2 kinds of beans. Baked Beans for Hubby, Chili Beans for Kiddo and I. Every once and a while I’ll try a slightly different twist on Chili Dogs for the whole family.

As life changes, I find myself looking back and missing the most perfect dog in the world. Before we get to today’s recipe I’d like to talk about a member of our family who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge twenty years ago. Yeah, that’s a long time to miss a pet.

Her name was Bobbie. She was a lab-Dobie mix. When Hubby and I bought our first house, I wanted a dog for the kids. Kids need a dog. Since Hubby is allergic to animals, the dog had to be an outside pet. Our first attempt was with Sheena, an amazing Husky with so much personality. However; she was a runner. Every day she jumped over our six-foot fence like it was nothing and ran all over the neighborhood. She even ran out into busy streets. She had too much energy to be penned up in a small backyard. So we gave her to a family with a cattle ranch. Sheena was so happy with miles and miles of pasture to run in.

The following Christmas Eve Bobbie appeared on our front porch. Hubby did everything he could think of to get her to leave. He yelled. He smacked his hand with a rolled up newspaper. She simply rolled over, offering up her belly. That melted his heart. Bobbie was different. She could lay on him and it didn’t trigger breathing issues. Because she showed up on Christmas Eve, we often joked that my mother sent Bobbie from heaven. She was an amazing dog. We could go for walks without a leash and she stayed right at our side. She was ferocious, protecting smaller animals from the bully dogs in the neighborhood. She was great with our kids and our grandkids. Bobbie was a member of the family for 17 years. She quietly crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on May 4, 2004. We haven’t had a furry friend in our lives since. There will never be another Bobbie for so many reasons.

When I was making this recipe for Chili Dogs, I thought about Bobbie running through fields in paradise, happy, healthily and not hurting any more. Her age took its toll, yet she continued to give her unconditional love. Because we loved her, we knew it was time to say good bye.

Chili Cheese Dog Biscuit Cups
2 cans Dennison Regular or Hot Chili Beans
3 large Hot Dogs
1/4 Yellow Onion
2 (8-count) Grand Biscuits
1/2 Sour Cream or as desired
1 cup Mild Cheddar Cheese or as desired

Note: You can either use 2 muffin tins, or only make 12 cups. I chose to make all 16.

Heat oven to 375-degrees. Spray needed regular size muffin cups with cooking spray. Set pans aside.

Empty chili beans into a saucepan. Warm chili over medium heat. Slice hot dogs into bite-size pieces, set aside. Peel and dice onion, set aside.

Separate biscuit dough into individual biscuits. Press each biscuit into a 5-inch round. Place 1 round into each prepared muffin cup. Firmly press in bottom and up the sides, forming a 3/4-inch rim. Place a hot dog into the bottom of each cup. Fill each cup with a few heaping tablespoons of warmed chilli. Tuck two or three more hot dog pieces into the chili.

Place in the heated oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Sprinkle cups with diced onions. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully lift biscuits from the cups with a spoon. Arrange on a serving platter. Top with a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkling of cheese. Serve and enjoy.

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God loved us, and send his Son
as expiation for our sins.