This Simple Chili Dog Sauce recipe is one that I keep in my freezer year round. The versatility of it allows me to not only use it on hot dogs and brats, but a multitude of other recipes. Not only does this Simple Chili Dog Sauce works as a recipe starter, but also as a topping to a variety of dishes. Therefore, I will be sharing all of the ways I use this Chili Sauce, including variations for use and the best way to serve it. In addition, I am going to show you how to make this Chili Dog Sauce Recipe by bulk cooking it for freezer meals. And most importantly, by batch cooking for the freezer, you can save yourself loads of time and energy in the long run.
But don’t worry! Consequently, if batch cooking a bulk amount of food isn’t your thing, I’ll show you how to pare down this recipe for a smaller batch.
Why Should I Batch Cook a Bulk Amount of Simple Chili Dog Sauce?
I am a huge fan of batch cooking a bulk amount of food for from the freezer meals. I find that it saves me so much time in the long run and takes the guess work out of busy nights when I am running behind on dinner.
However, I don’t like batch cooking whole meals for the freezer. Consequently, I find that they never reheat into anything edible. Not only are they dry, but weirdly mushy.
Because of these reasons, I prefer to bulk cook portions of the meal for the freezer, like the protein, as opposed to the entire meal. As a matter of fact, that’s why I batch cook my Simple Chili Dog Sauce recipe for the freezer- enough for a whole year! If you’re going to make the mess and put in the time, why not make it worth your while?
Above all, unthawing a portion of this Simple Chili Sauce takes no time at all. Reheating it is even quicker, but enjoying it is the best part! 
8 Mouth Watering Ways To Serve Simple Chili Dog Sauce
Perhaps you’re like me and when you think of Chili Dog Sauce, the first thing that comes to mind is using it on hot dogs and brats. While this is just one of the uses for it, let me enlighten you to all of the other uses it has. Believe me, you will thank yourself for cooking such a large batch of this for from the freezer meals. I promise, it will get used and your family will certainly love it!
- On top of Baked Potatoes. After splitting your baked potato, spoon Chili Sauce on top. In addition, add sour cream, shredded cheese and chives. You’ll thank me for this one!
- As Chili. Need a quick dinner or lunch? This one is surprisingly simple. Add a can of drained and rinsed pinto beans to the Simple Chili Dog Sauce Recipe and heat through. Serve with crackers and shredded cheese.
- Top Nacho Chips. Football season, snack time, anytime- nachos certainly are a quick way to treat yourself. Save yourself time by topping your nachos with Chili Sauce. Then add all of your favorite toppings. Even better, serve your loaded nachos family style on a large platter!
- Chili Cheese Burgers. Is it really a burger if it’s not running-down-your-arms messy? No, it’s not! Start by topping your favorite hamburger patty with a couple spoonfuls of Chili Sauce. Then add some shredded cheese, followed by a few pickled jalapeño slices. Boom! Bascially the best hamburger ever.
- As a Dip. Do you love a layered dip? I know I certainly do! Not only are they a quick snack, but they are an easy appetizer to bring to a party. To a bowl, layer the following ingredients in this order: warmed refried beans, warmed Chili Sauce, sour cream, shredded cheese and sliced black olives. After that, serve with tortilla chips, crackers or sweet pepper slices.
- In a Quesadilla. If there is one meal my kids will remember eating a lot of in their childhood, it’s quesadillas. And eggs. But we’ll save the egg story for a different day. Quesadillas certainly are one of the quickest ways to make lunch. Take two tortilla shells, shredded cheese and protein (use Chili Sauce here). Then heat on both sides in a skillet until toasted and melted through. After that, serve with ranch dressing, sour cream or hot sauce and it’s a simple meal. Or snack.
- On a Bun. When I made this Simple Chili Sauce for the first time and my husband tasted it, he declared it would also taste good on a bun, sloppy joe style. And it does! Put a little bit of mayo on the bun and top it with a slice of Colby-Jack cheese and you’re in sloppy sandwich Heaven!
- On a Hotdog or Brat. I’d like to point out that topping a hotdog or brat with meat sauce is perfectly acceptable. After all, who doesn’t love meat topped with more meat?
Recipe Variations:
Because I have small children, I like to keep most of the spice out of my Simple Chili Dog Sauce recipe. That’s not to say that I don’t add it in after the fact, though. Let’s explore some options in order to customize this recipe to your taste preference.
- Add Spice. Adding more cayenne pepper in addition to the amount called for will definitely achieve this goal.
- Add Beans. To your recipe, add two 15-ounce cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed. This amount of beans will be added when batch cooking a bulk amount of Chili Dog Sauce.
- Add Peppers. Bell peppers (any color), jalapeño peppers, ancho chili peppers- any of these by themselves, or in combination will add depth of flavor and spice to your Simple Chili Dog Sauce Recipe.
- Substitute Meat. Switch out the type of meat you use. Instead of ground beef, use ground pork, or ground turkey.
Tips for Batch Cooking A Bulk Amount of Simple Chili Dog Sauce for The Freezer:
- It’s important to note that you need to use a large crockpot. Because crockpots cook low and slow, this is my preferred method to cook my ground meat into a fine consistency.
- A watched pot never boils, but an unwatched pot might boil over. If you are cooking ground beef or ground pork, you may need to drain some of the fat off during the cooking process. This can be done by using a ladle to remove some of the fat.
- Add water to the raw ground meat. This may seem odd, but believe me, the water helps to keep the meat to a fine consistency. The water will get strained off after bulk cooking the meat.
- Stir the meat frequently during the cooking process. You want a fine consistency to your cooked Chili Dog Sauce. In order to do this, you must stir the meat frequently to break up any large clumps of meat.
Tools You Will Need:
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Crockpot As mentioned, you will need a large crockpot. I personally use this crockpot because, not only is it deep, but also wide. Not only does this allow for the meat to cook quicker, but more evenly, too.
Measuring cups and spoons
Quart freezer bags or freezer jars
Chili Dog Sauce
This Simple Chili Dog Sauce works as a recipe starter, or as a topping to add an extra level of tastiness to a variety of dishes including baked potatoes, chili, quesadillas and more. And don't forget to add it to your favorite hot dog or brat!
Ingredients
- 12 Pounds ground pork or ground beef
- 3 Large onions, minced
- 3/4 Cup water
- 3-15oz Cans tomato sauce
- 3-6oz Cans tomato paste
- 1/2 Cup chili powder
- 2 T Ground cumin
- 2 T Dried oregano
- 3 T Onion powder
- 3 T Garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp Cayenne powder
- 2 T Salt
- 6 T Yellow mustard
- 1/2 Cup Brown sugar
- 1 1/2 Cup Beef broth
Instructions
- In a large crockpot set to the lowest heat setting, add the ground meat, minced onion and water; cover with the lid.
- Allow the meat to cook 20-30 minutes. Then remove the lid and stir well, breaking up any large clumps of meat. Replace the lid. Stir several more times throughout the cooking process, breaking up any clumps along the way.
- Once the meat is fully cooked, drain the excess grease and water. Return the meat to the crockpot.
- To the meat, add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, yellow mustard and beef broth. Stir well to incorporate. Then add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne powder, salt and brown sugar. Stir to incorporate the spices completely. Return the lid.
- Cook over low heat for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once heated through, taste to check if you need to adjust your spices. If the spices are to your liking, remove the crock from the heat to cool.
- Once cooled completely, place in your Chili Dog Sauce in your storage containers to freeze.
Notes
I like to freeze my Chili Dog Sauce using two different storage containers. This allows me to have a smaller portion when using for topping hot dogs and a larger portion for meals.
- Let the Chili Sauce cool completely before placing in your storage containers.
- To store in portions for topping hot dogs: Fill an 8-ounce jelly jar with chili dog sauce, leaving 1-inch of headspace. Then place the lid and ring on the jar. Next, label the jar with the contents and date.
- To store in portions for meals: You will first need quart size zip-top freezer bags. First, fill the bag with 2 cups of chili sauce. Then squish the air out of the bag and zip close. Last, flatten the bag out so it will be easier to stack in the freezer. This will also reduce the unthawing time. Don't forget to label the bag with the contents and date!
TO MAKE A SMALLER BATCH: Simply cut the recipe in half or thirds. In doing so, this will give you roughly 10 cups or 6 cups of finished chili dog sauce.
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Tips for Freezing:
I like to freeze my Chili Dog Sauce using two different storage containers. This allows me to have a smaller portion when using for topping hot dogs and a larger portion for from the freezer meals.
- Let the Chili Sauce cool completely before placing in your storage containers.
- To store in portions for topping hot dogs: Fill an 8-ounce jelly jar with chili dog sauce, leaving 1-inch of headspace. Then place the lid and ring on the jar. Above all, label the jar with the contents and date.
- To store in portions for meals: You will first need quart size zip-top freezer bags. First, fill the bag with 2 cups of chili sauce. Then squish the air out of the bag and zip close. Last, flatten the bag out so it will be easier to stack in the freezer. This will also reduce the unthawing time. Above all, don’t forget to label the bag with the contents and date!
Tips for Unthawing:
- Place the frozen jar or bag of chili dog sauce in the refrigerator and let thaw for 24 hours.
- On the other hand, place the frozen jar or bag of chili dog sauce on a plate on the counter. Let thaw for several hours. For instance, I take mine out in the morning and and it is thawed by dinnertime.
Tips for Reheating:
- Place the thawed chili sauce in small pan. Then over low heat, slowly heat through, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- On the other hand, the thawed sauce can be heated in the microwave.
- If the sauce seems too thick, add small amounts of water, up to 1/4 cup, until the sauce thins to the desired consistency.
Looking for More Bulk Freezer Cooking Inspiration?
- Check out THIS post where I share how I save hours in the kitchen by bulk cooking potatoes. Then I turn them into multiple meals of mashed potatoes and freeze them for future meals.
