These leftover hot dog recipes are an easy way to use up America’s favorite food!
When I think of hot dogs, my mind goes straight to baseball, summer cookouts, and kids with messy faces.
Hot dogs are kind of an ‘any occasion,’ year-round food. They’re convenient, tasty, and can be done in less than a minute in the microwave!
That’s probably why Americans eat so many of them.
Leftover hot dogs are just as yummy, and they’re more versatile than you might think.
This list contains 10 of my all-time favorite leftover hot dog recipes. I hope you like them, too!
1. Hot Dog Hash with Roasted Veggies and Potatoes
Hot dog hash is a nutritious, delicious, and filling meal that takes 10 minutes to throw together and 45 to bake.
It’s a great option for meal prep, as well. Mix everything beforehand, then all you have to do is heat it while the kids are taking baths and you’re checking homework.
Thanks to the paprika, chives, onions, peppers, and tarragon, it’s also surprisingly flavorful!
2. Hot Dog Fried Rice
If you want to combine the traditional American food with a bit of an ethnic flair, hot dog fried rice is the way to go.
The white rice, cloves, sesame oil, veggies, eggs, and soy sauce give it all the flavor of a yummy Asian dinner, and the hot dogs provide it with plenty of protein.
Plus, you get to use up all those leftover franks that have been sitting in your fridge.
3. Franks and Beans
Franks and beans always make a tasty side dish, but they’re even better when you make them from scratch.
They take a little less than an hour to make, and when done, they’re a hit with the whole family!
4. Cheesy Hot Dog Tater Tot Casserole
I’m not the world’s biggest tater tots fan, but even I enjoy this recipe.
They’re baked with hot dogs and smothered in chili, cheese, onions, and pepper! What’s not to love?!
It’ll only take you 10 minutes to prepare, and the other 40 minutes are strictly bake time.
The end result is kind of like mixing a chili cheese Coney and Sonic’s tater tots into one delicious dish.
5. Penny Casserole
The name of this casserole is very fitting because it doesn’t cost much more than pennies to make.
All you’ll need to make it are eight simple, readily available ingredients: hot dogs, frozen peas, red potatoes, butter, mustard, pepper, cream of mushroom soup, and diced onions.
Start by boiling the potatoes. Then you’ll combine all the ingredients into one baking dish and bake them for less than half an hour.
Once it’s done, you’ll have a nice, healthy dish to feed the whole family.
6. Hot Dog Spaghetti
As a child, I wasn’t a fan of the hot dog spaghetti they sold in cans.
I thought it was kind of gross, to be perfectly honest, so when my friend first shared her recipe for hot dog spaghetti, I wasn’t sold.
She kept asking me if I’d tried it and if I liked it, so eventually, I gave it a try so that I could tell her I had made it. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was.
It helped that this recipe called for my favorite cheddar cheese sauce rather than marinara or spaghetti sauce. It made all the difference for me.
So if you’re looking for a three-ingredient dinner you can cook in 35 minutes, give hot dog spaghetti a try.
7. Pigs in a Blanket with Cheese
This is another three-ingredient recipe, but this one’s ready in 15 minutes! Pigs in a blanket have always been one of my favorite finger foods.
When I discovered I could add cheese to them, that cemented them in the Finger Food Hall of Fame. This recipe for pigs in a blanket is my favorite.
The crescent rolls are so warm and flaky, and the cheese complements the hot dogs perfectly.
If you want to spice it up just a little, try substituting pepper jack cheese for the cheddar.
8. Chili Cheese Dog Pizza
This recipe is the perfect combination of two of the best junk food meals on Earth: chili cheese dogs and pizza.
I’m not going to lie and say this is strictly nutritious or healthy, but I will tell you that it’s unbelievably good.
I know some people who “cheat” and make it with canned chili, and it still tastes okay.
But if you have the time, go all out and make it with homemade chili instead. It makes it so much better.
If you have teenage boys in the house, you may want to make at least three of these because they’re not likely to stop eating them long enough to share.
9. Hot Dog Taquitos
These cheesy, crispy rolls of goodness are an American twist on a Mexican favorite or, as the recipe says, a “Mexican-inspired twist” on an American favorite!
Either way, they’re pretty good.
You can bake them in the oven, and they’ll taste just fine, but if you have an air fryer, I highly recommend using it. They’ll be much crispier.
All you’ll need to make them are corn tortillas, hot dogs, shredded cheese, and olive oil.
Roll everything up and air fry or bake them for about 20 minutes until the cheese gets melty.
Then serve them with salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or any of your other favorite Spanish dips.
10. Hot Dog Toad in the Hole
I’ve hit Asia, Mexico, and America, and now I’m finishing with this British classic, using hot dogs instead of sausages, as typically would be used.
The dish requires quite a few ingredients, but most of them are everyday pantry staples like oil, flour, milk, eggs, and vegetable stock.
It takes about 15 minutes to get the dish ready for the oven and another 35 to cook it.
When it’s done, it’s a delightful mixture of sweet and savory tastes that make a very appetizing evening meal.
10 Ways to Use Leftover Hot Dogs
Ingredients
Instructions
- Select your favorite recipe.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prep a hot dog meal in 30 minutes or less!
