Wienie-Lottas

Better Homes and Gardens Casserole Cook Book (1969)

This may be one of the easiest recipes I've yet gotten away with. It's perfect if, like me, you're having a busy spring and can't dedicate a lot of time to making hot, delicious meals for your family. Or, you know, iof you're just lazy. Also like me.

In my defense, the recipe for "Wienie-Lottas" (get it?  It kind of sounds like 'enchilada', only you don't have to fool with any of that left-leaning foreign spelling!) looked a lot more complicated on paper, mostly owing to the fact that in 1969, apparently, one couldn't dash down to the local five and dime and pick up a bottle of enchilada sauce, but had to make it oneself.  

I wasn't about to work that hard, but if you're so inclined, have at it. Here's the recipe:

8 to 10 frozen tortillas
2 10 1/2 ounce cans chili without beans
1 tablespoon instant minced onion
6 to 8 drops bottled hot pepper sauce
1 pound (8 to 10) frankfurters
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup seeded and chopped canned green chili peppers
4 ounces sharp natural Cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Cook tortillas in water according to package directions. Combine next three ingredients. Place a frank on each tortilla; top each with 2 tablespoons chili mixture (reserve remaining). Roll tortillas around franks. Arrange, seam side down, in 12x71/2x2-inch baking dish. Combine remaining chili mixture and tomato sauce and pour over tortillas. Sprinkle with chili peppers. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Top with cheese. Serves 4 or 5.

Now, here's my version, with modifications:

1 package frozen tortillas, which you got for free from Maria at Maria's Taqueria because her order was mixed up and she had an extra pallette of tortillas
1 package hot dogs
1 jar enchilada sauce
1 package shredded Cheddar Cheese

Thaw tortillas in microwave. Roll 1 hot dog in each tortilla. Dump enchilada sauce over the top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Top dish with as much cheese as you want (and admit it, you probably want the whole package) and bake for another 5 minutes. Top decoratively with cilantro.

So, there you have it. It's hot dogs in tortillas with enchilada sauce and melted cheese. So, perfection, essentially.  Here's what Dr. Husband thought:

Our Rating: Two Screaming Husbands!
(all dishes are rated from one to five Screaming Husbands. One Screaming Husband equals a happy home where all problems are solved during cocktail hour. Five Screaming Husbands signals the beginning of divorce proceedings.)