Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Baseball. The All-American game. Picture the good ol’ boys with their caps over their hearts as the National Anthem plays. Fans in the stands get ready to cheer their team from the top of the first to the bottom of the ninth, each hoping for the chance to catch a game ball.

Stadium food has come a long way since the bag of peanuts and the hot dog. But still, there is something so traditional about certain foods. A soft pretzel. Popcorn. A corn dog.

Oh, man. Corn dogs. They are so incredibly bad for you… yet so very good. A nitrite stuffed hot dog dipped in cornbread batter and deep fried. Wow. That little dude should come with a defibrillator on the side. Heaven forbid someone eat more than one, considering one has about 19 grams of fat…

*shudder*

Yet, I love them. Haven’t had one in probably 10 years, though. I just couldn’t bring myself to put that much fat in my mouth. It actually grossed me out enough to stop me from wanting it.

Thankfully, I came across a recipe a few years back that satisfied my love of said corn dog, without the frying. I recently tried a gluten free version and found I like it even better than the original! To trim it down even more, try turkey hot dogs.

So the next time you curl up on the couch to watch the good ol’ boys, be sure to have a plate of this with you. You’ll have all the goodness of the game without your feet sticking to the floor and someone spilling a beer on you. Oh, and no traffic jams!

Gluten Free Corn Dog Bake

1 Tbsp butter

1 cup finely chopped celery

¾ cup finely chopped onion

1 package hot dogs (8 dogs)

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup Pamela’s Baking Mix

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 scant tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/3 cup canola or veggie oil

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté celery and onion until soft. Place in a large bowl, set aside.

Cut hot dogs into bite-sized pieces. In the same large skillet, sauté the hot dogs until lightly browned. Add hot dogs into the large bowl with the celery and onion, tossing to combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, Pamela’s Baking Mix, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the egg, milk, oil and black pepper and whisk together until smooth.

Add the cornbread batter to the hot dog mixture and stir to combine. Add ½ cup of cheese to the cornbread mixture and stir. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.