The vibrant colors! The sense of whimsy and merriment! That delectable aroma of fried foods and sticky caramel by the barrelful! The carnival is in town! Well, it should be, anyway; it would make for a nice change of pace. We can bring the carnival to you with Carnival Casserole! This is basically a giant corndog in baking dish form: a bedding of fluffy, tender cornbread atop and mixed with bites of juicy, savory hot dog. Throw in a few veggies to help balance out the flavor and Carnival Casserole is ready for the big top! This is the kind of trip your tastebuds have been itching to go on!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups celery, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups green onions, sliced
- 1 1/2 pounds hot dogs, cut into 1/2-inch slices.
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
- 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 (8.5-ounce) packages cornbread/muffin mix
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 –In a small skillet, melt the butter.
Step 3 –Add the celery slices to the butter and sautĂ© until they have softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 4 –Add the green onions to the celery and sautĂ© until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Step 5 –Place the veggie mixture in a large bowl.
Step 6 –In the same skillet, sautĂ© the hot dog slices until they have lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Step 7 –Add the hot dogs to the vegetables and mix to combine.
Step 8 –Reserve 1 cup of the hot dog mixture.
Step 9 –In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, the milk, the sage, and the pepper together.
Step 10 –Add the milk mixture to the remaining hot dog mixture.
Step 11 –Stir the cornbread mixes and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese into the hot dog mixture.
Step 12 –Spread the cornbread mixture into a shallow 3-quart or a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 13 –Top the casserole with the reserved hot dog mixture and the remaining cheese.
Step 14 –Bake the casserole, uncovered, until it is golden-brown, about 30 minutes.
Step 15 –Serve.
