1-First Step: Prepping Ingredients. Gather all chili dog ingredients. Finely chop the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Measure the individual spices of the homemade chili powder blend for easy use during cooking.

2-Second Step: Cooking Sausages. Preheat a skillet or grill to medium-high heat. Grill or pan-fry the smoked sausages until browned and fully heated, turning occasionally. Though casing may split, this adds to the rustic look and flavor.

3-Third Step: Making the Chili Sauce. Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sauté chopped onion, garlic, and red capsicum until soft, about 3 minutes. Add ground beef, breaking it up, and cook until browned with no raw spots. Stir in tomato paste and cook for another minute to remove raw taste.

4-Fourth Step: Adding Seasonings and Simmering. Mix in the homemade chili powder blend, canned crushed tomatoes, water, crumbled beef bouillon cubes, and salt. Stir thoroughly. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and partially cover the pot. Simmer gently for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

5-Fifth Step: Thickening the Sauce. After cooking, remove 1½ cups of chili sauce and blend until smooth with a blender or immersion blender to create a thick, clinging sauce. Return the blended sauce to the pot and stir. Use a potato masher to break up any large beef chunks if desired. Keep warm.

6-Sixth Step: Preparing Buns and Assembly. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) (fan 160°C). Place hot dog buns on a baking tray. Insert a cooked sausage into each bun. Add a squiggle of yellow mustard and sprinkle with finely chopped white onion.

7-Final Step: Adding Chili and Cheese, Baking. Spoon generous amounts of warm chili sauce over each sausage. Top with shredded cheese. Bake the assembled chili dogs for 7–10 minutes until cheese melts and bubbles. Serve immediately with optional plain crinkle-cut potato chips and your favorite cold beverage.