What? Wait? Did I say, “corn dog muffins?” OK, I did — but did I really say, “Gluten-Free?” (Yes!)

“No way,” you say, “there’s all kinds of fillers in hot dogs and usually that means wheat.”

Not when you use hot dogs that are filler and preservative-free (no nitrates or nitrites and no MSG — YAY!) and the great thing is these corn dog muffins taste every bit as decadent as their recipe title sounds (sans the gluten-free moniker.) I made them as something a little different for lunch one day and with a hubby and a young son in the house, for whom hot dogs are always a welcome sight, it felt like a no-brainer.

I was inspired by the fact that The Buffalo Guys had just sent me a dry ice packed cooler filled with yummy range-raised (no antibiotics, no growth hormones) buffalo sausages. (Well, me and the whole Virtual Potluck gang — go check out the host page to see the other yummy recipes.) I received one package each of Andouille, Bratwurst, and Polish sausages and hot dogs all made from 100% buffalo meat, which is a leaner (it’s leaner than chicken) and a more sustainably raised alternative to beef. Plus, it’s really flavorful.

Anyway, while we enjoyed all the sausages, I felt the bigger challenge would be to make a killer recipe with the hot dogs, because — of the 4 kinds of links we were sent — hot dogs are the least glamorous by a long shot.

But that all changes today.

 

 

These muffins came out great — a complete meal packed in an easy to carry corn muffin and since they also have quinoa in them, these little babies are packed with good nutrition and fiber, as well as good taste.

Serve them with your choice of condiments, we tried dipping ’em in Dijon, regular and sweet hot mustards but my son favored his “no jalapenos” version with ketchup. They also reheat well, wrapped in foil, with a light sprinkle of water and popped into a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Dog Muffins (*Gluten-Free)

  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 fully cooked quinoa (cool to touch)
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 1.5 cups stone ground cornmeal
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 Buffalo Hot Dogs from The Buffalo guys (cut into bite size chunks)
  • 1 to 2 large or medium-sized jalapenos (de-seeded and diced)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the cups of two 1 dozen non-stick cupcake pans (no flour) no wrappers (the cheese makes a nice crust that you’ll miss with the wrappers.)

Combine the buttermilk and eggs in a blender or food processor. Add 1/2 cup of cooled, cooked quinoa and blend until smooth. Add the melted butter and blend smooth.

In a standing mixer or mixing bowl, mix together the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Add the contents of the blender, mixing well on low-speed. Remove bowl from mixer and add the cheese, diced jalapeno and buffalo hot dogs. Dish up the batter, with an ice cream scoop or large spoon, into the prepped cupcake pans and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the muffins are golden and bounce back when lightly pressed.

Remove from the oven and cool to warm in the pan before serving.

CAUTION: If you try to remove the muffins while they’re still hot, they’ll fall apart.

Once the muffins are no longer hot, but rather warm to the touch, using a butter knife, loosen the muffins from the sides and bottom of the pan and lift out. Serve with your favorite condiments. Store in the refrigerator and reheat wrapped in foil in the oven.

Makes 24 muffins

Visit The Buffalo Guys on Facebook and tell ’em Virtual Potluck sent you:

***Discount: 15% off any hot dog/sausage purchase thru the end of March w/Code: VIRTUALPOTLUCK.***