You Need To Try Carla Hall's Unexpected Corn Dog Recipe - Exclusive

Leftover food can be either a fortunate byproduct or logistical headache following a large gathering. When you've prepared enough food to feed a gaggle of your closest friends, what do you do the day after? Former "Top Chef" finalist and "The Chew" co-host Carla Hall has you covered, thanks to the recipes she shared in an exclusive interview with Mashed. The star's unexpected corn dog recipe really caught our attention. Not only is hers an update on a classic, but it's an easy way to avoid contributing to the estimated $1 trillion in food waste generated per year (via World Food Program USA).

Hall partnered with Tostitos to create these Next Day Delicious recipes, sharing some of her signature charismatic cooking videos on social media. "You've already put some work in on the Fourth and I am saying to you, keep the party going," Hall told us. "I was excited to think about The Next Day Delicious campaign so that I could give people ideas of what they were going to do with all of those leftover dishes." Wondering if saving a few hot dogs really makes a difference? The U.S. is a big contributor to food waste, with 133 billion pounds of food thrown out in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Luckily for us, Hall really knows how to transform all those uneaten hot dogs.

Carla Hall is the first to admit that she loves a corn dog. The chef explained they remind her of the fair, and therefore, summertime. "But, we always do a lot of hot dogs," Hall said. "My husband and I, Matthew, have hot dog night at home." Despite hot dogs being a crowd-pleaser, there's always the chance of leftovers — and Hall's Tostitos crusted corn dogs recipe is so convenient and perfect for next-day meals. "I don't care how many people are there," Hall said. "You are going to grill the entire pack of hot dogs because it's easy. It's fast." Any leftover dogs will be center stage for her quick-fry recipe.

For this crunchy corn dog, Hall recommends combining flour and cornmeal with mustard powder, sugar, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Then, mix the milk and egg separately. Combine all the ingredients into a batter. Instead of buying an extra bag of chips, she recommended, "If you have a bag that's right at the end, don't throw it away." Next, Hall puts the batter in a glass to dip the hot dog, "then you roll it into those crunchy Tostitos crumbs." She then fries the corn dog in a deep fryer, but oil in a pan would work as well. 

"Then you finish it with mayonnaise, ketchup, and cilantro — and it is delicious," Hall explained. "There's so many more recipes where those came from." Thankfully, the corndog is an easy way to start, especially following your next barbeque.

Get even more Tostitos Next Day Delicious recipes from Carla Hall through the bite-size cooking videos shared on her social media accounts.