Below is managing editor Niki Kourofsky’s never-fail recipe for this North Country staple, which can be made ahead and packed along for next-level campfire hot dogs. For a real treat, try her Michigan Mac recipe—a combination of meat sauce and homemade mac-n-cheese. To learn more about the roots of this iconic topping, see "Michigans," from our August 2012 issue. 

 

Michigan Sauce

2 pounds ground beef

16 ounces tomato sauce

10-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies

1 medium onion

8–10 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons black pepper

1/4  bottle hot sauce, or to taste

1 tablespoon horseradish mustard

Ketchup, to taste (makes it sweeter)

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients at once and cook over low heat for 2–3 hours.