Chili Dog Bacon Cheeseburgers and Fiery Fries

Ingredients

• 8 slices center cut or other lean, thick-cut, smoky bacon
• 1 pound ground lean beef
• 2 hot dogs, beef or pork, diced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Seasoning by McCormick)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon hot sauce, eyeball it, divided
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• Vegetable oil, for drizzling
• 4 slices deli sliced Cheddar
• 1 sack (16 to18 ounces) crispy style frozen potato fries
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons chives, a handful
• Salt
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 4 kaiser rolls, split
• 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 lime, juiced

Directions

Preheat broiler to high.

Place bacon on slotted broiler pan. Cook bacon 10 inches from the heat and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side until crisp then adjust oven to bake setting for temperature recommended on fries packaging.

While bacon cooks, make the burgers. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Mix beef with diced dogs, chili powder, grill seasoning, Worcestershire, 1 teaspoon of hot sauce and ketchup. Form 4 large patties. Add a drizzle of oil, 1 turn of the pan and add the patties. Cook burgers 6 minutes on each side, then top with 2 slices bacon and 1 slice of cheddar, each. Turn pan off, cover with loose foil tent and let cheese melt, 1 to 2 minutes.

While the burgers cook, add fries to oven and cook until extra-crisp. Remove from oven. Place butter, 1 tablespoon hot sauce and garlic in a small dish and microwave on high 20 seconds then transfer fries to a large bowl. Toss fries with garlic-hot sauce butter and chives and season with salt, to taste.

Slather chili sauce on the tops of split keiser rolls. Place bacon chili-cheese burgers on bun bottoms and top each burger with lettuce, cilantro, and lime juice. Set bun tops in place. Pile fries alongside and serve.