I've always wanted to make homemade corn dogs. Which is strange, because I don't actually eat corn dogs. After a 4 year stint as a vegetarian, hot dogs are one food that have not found their way back on my menu. The kids love them (even from the microwave when they're lucky enough to get one at a friend's house), and the Quiet Man loves them from Main Street at Disneyland. (Why, oh why doesn't Disney make them with cheese for the non hot dog crowd?) They always look so crispy, crunchy and corny-corny in a good food flavor kind of way. I decided to one up Disney and make both corn dogs and cheese doggies. Ha! They really are crispy, crunchy and corny-maybe in both kinds of ways, and oh did it work for me. And if it seems strange that on Thursday I'm lightening up Ina's panzanella, and by Friday I'm deep frying hunks of cheese, you're right. I'm strange and inconsistent and very moody. But I hope you'll love me in spite of all that. If not, I hope you'll at least love me for my low brow corn dogs.
This recipe comes from Hillbilly Housewife, a great penny pinching resource. Make some for a fun Saturday lunch for a once a year kind of treat. A quick picto-guide: Make up the cornbread mixture and place it in a jar for dipping, or just spoon it over your dogs.
Roll the dogs or cheese strips in flour and impale with a wooden stick.
Coat the dogs in the cornbread mixture and deep fry, turning once, about 2 minutes total. (My cheese doggies are fatter than the corn dogs, since I really coated those babies with the cornmeal mixture. I didn't have a single melted cheese drip, either.)
Drain on paper towels. 
Serve with ketchup and mustard. Pretend you're on a Ferris wheel. Take a big bite.
I made a huge batch since we had a big crowd of visiting cousins for Saturday lunch. They were a colossal hit. Kids and corndogs. I'm not suprised they went over big.Money Saving Tips: This recipe is pretty economical, as long as you get your dogs or cheese at a reasonable price. Freeze any leftovers for a quick kid's lunch. They won't be quite as good frozen, but they'll be better than the store bought kind. You can reuse your frying oil if you strain it and pour it into a clean jar.
Homemade Corn Dogs or Cheese Doggies
Estimated Cost: $6.00
Notes: This will make enough batter for 8 corn dogs or 6 cheese sticks.
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 T. oil
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup flour, plus more for coating
8 hot dogs OR 8 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into 6 equal sticks
oil for deep frying, (I did about 1 and 1/2 inch deep)
In a medium bowl, combine milk, egg, oil, and sugar. Sprinkle salt, powder, cornmeal and flour over the top. Mix until just combined. Dry off hot dogs with paper towel. Rub hot dogs or cheese sticks with flour to coat and poke in a wooden stick. Preheat oil to 375 degrees. Quickly coat a dog in cornmeal mixture and drop into oil. Repeat with another dog. Watch closely. When it is browned, flip it over and cook on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining dogs. If you have any leftover batter, you can fry it by the tablespoon for hush puppies.
Next Up:
Weekend Lunch
Lemon and Basil Chicken Salad
