Tyler Smith Hot Dog Chili Dip — The Fourth of July We Made Our Own Tradition

Fourth of July. Three years since the bar in Virginia Beach. Three years since 'ma'am' and the jawline and the Budweiser. I told Ryan this morning: 'Three years ago today, you called me ma'am.' 'Three years ago today, you told me not to.' 'And you did it anyway.' 'And look where it got us.' He gestured at the apartment: half-packed, toddler toys on the floor, a laptop with an unfinished book chapter on the screen, a crockpot on the counter, and a twenty-one-month-old running in circles because running in circles is his primary hobby. 'It got us HERE,' Ryan said. And he meant it as praise. Fourth of July during a pandemic PCS is stripped down: no parties, no groups, just us on the patio with hot dogs (Ryan grilled) and my potato salad (always) and sparklers for Caleb (supervised — HEAVILY supervised, because toddlers and fire are a combination that requires more attention than a bomb technician gives to his job). Caleb loved the sparklers. He screamed 'HOT!' and then 'MO!' which is exactly the Abernathy response to anything dangerous: acknowledge the danger, then request more of it. I didn't call Dad today. He called ME. First time ever on the Fourth. 'Thought I'd check on you,' he said. 'How's the packing?' 'Terrible. How's the garden?' 'Good. The peppers are enormous. I'll send you seeds for the desert.' Pepper seeds for the desert. Kevin Abernathy is going to grow peppers in 108-degree heat through his daughter's potted garden on a Marine base in the Mojave. I didn't have the heart to tell him that growing anything in Twentynine Palms requires more than seeds and hope. It requires an irrigation system and the will of God. The fireworks were visible from the patio — distant, from the surrounding communities, colorful against the black California sky. I thought about Dad and his noise-canceling headphones. I thought about the bar in Virginia Beach. I thought about the green bag and the deployment bus and the yellow nursery and the crockpot chicken. Three years. A lifetime. A binder full of recipes and a hard drive full of words and a toddler who says 'HOT' and 'MO' and makes everything feel like it's going to be okay. Happy Fourth. Pass the sparklers.

Ryan grilled the hot dogs. That was his contribution, and it was a good one — but I’ll be honest, the real magic on a hot dog is always what goes on it. This Tyler Smith Hot Dog Chili Dip is the kind of thing I want on the counter at every Fourth of July from here on out: rich, savory, and built for exactly the kind of stripped-down, just-us celebration we had on that California patio. Caleb would have absolutely dunked his entire hand in it, which is the highest compliment a toddler can give.

Tyler Smith Hot Dog Chili Dip

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
• Hot dogs and buns, for serving

Instructions

1. Brown the beef. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and diced onion together, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the beef is no longer pink, about 7–8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
2. Add aromatics. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Build the chili base. Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, and mustard, stirring to combine. Then add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne if using.
4. Simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the mixture simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a scoopable dip consistency.
5. Serve. Transfer to a serving dish or keep warm in a slow cooker on the low setting. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and serve alongside grilled hot dogs, buns, and your favorite toppings.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 6g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 480mg