Corn Dog Dressing Bake

This is one of those recipes that came from one of those days the boys and I decided to play in the kitchen. Two dishes that we love involving cornbread are corn dogs and good ole southern cornbread dressing. So we asked ourselves... Why not combine the two? That's just what we did. It turned out better than I could have hoped!! In 2 hours I made 2 pans because everyone wanted seconds and thirds! This casserole is savory yet slightly sweet. It is cheesy and meaty. In one word... Perfect!

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1  cup celery, chopped finely
• 1  large onions, chopped finely (my favorite!) or 1  cup  of sliced green onion (my favorite!)
• 2  tablespoons butter or 2  tablespoons margarine
• 2 (2 lb) packages  hot dogs
• 2 (8 1/2ounce) packages  cornbread mix (I love Jiffy Brand!)
• 2  cups  shredded cheddar cheese
• 2  eggs
• 1 1⁄2 cups milk
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons rubbed sage
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a skillet, combine celery, onions and butter. Saute for 5 minutes. Pour into a large bowl.
3. Cut the hot dogs into fourths lengthwise. Then cut each hot dog strip into 4 pieces.
4. Pour hot dog pieces into the same skillet you used for the celery/onion mixture, saute hot dog pieces for 5 min or until lightly browned.
5. Add the browned hot dog pieces into the celery/onion mixture bowl.
6. In another large bowl, combine; eggs, milk, sugar, sage, and pepper.
7. Add 1/2 of the hot dog /celery mixture and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese, into the milk mixture. Stir in the corn bread mix.
8. Spread the mixture into a 13x9 backing dish.
9. Top with the remaining half of the hot dog/celery mix. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the top.
10. Bake, uncovered, at 400°F for approx 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Enjoy!
12. **If your kids are gonna freak at the sight of celery, leave it out and add a shake or two of celery salt.
13. Some of my kids like this with mustard or ketchup.