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Hot Dog Cheesy Macaroni Casserole

This mouthwatering Hot Dog Cheesy Macaroni Casserole takes macaroni and cheese to a new level.  It’s a one dish meal packed with all-beef hot dogs and jumbo elbow macaroni that’s smothered in a homemade bacon cheese sauce. It’s a dish that kids of all ages will love.

Hotdog Cheesy Macaroni Casserole

Easy Hot Dog Cheesy Macaroni Casserole Recipe

Casseroles are a great love of mine in particularly for weekday meals and potlucks. One dish meals like Supreme Pizza Tortellini Bake and Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole are among our very favorites. They are typically able to be assembled in advance, chilled and ready to bake when we’re ready to eat. I especially love it if there’s one that’s filled with as much flavor as this cheesy goodness. How to do you make Macaroni and Cheese with hot dogs:

  • Macaroni – Jumbo elbow macaroni or classic elbow pasta.
  • Hot Dogs – Beef hot dogs. Recommend Nathan’s or similar.
  • Bacon – Six slices classic bacon that’s been cooked and crumbled.
  • Cheese – Shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
  • Sauce – Milk, butter, reserved bacon drippings, all purpose flour and onion.
  • Seasonings – Garlic salt, ground mustard and black pepper.
  • Garnish – Green onions.
Hot Dog Cheesy Macaroni Casserole

How to Make the BEST Hot Dog Cheesy Macaroni Casserole

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Hot Dog Cheesy Macaroni Casserole: Hot dogs, jumbo elbow macaroni or classic elbow macaroni, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, butter, onion, ground mustard, garlic salt, black pepper, whole milk and green onions.
  • Kitchen tools you’ll need: Pasta pot or large pot for cooking the macaroni, cheese grater, large bowl, measuring cups and spoons, sharp knife and chopping board and 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
  • When making this dish, I highly recommend that you use a premium hot dog for the best end result. Go with a brand that you enjoy and you’ll be good to go.
  • I use jumbo elbow macaroni in this recipe just because we love it. Please note that classic elbow macaroni will work as well.
  • If you use a large pot to make the pasta, it could double as the mixing bowl.
  • I highly recommend grating your own cheese for this casserole. Bagged cheese has been coated to keep the shreds from sticking together and can cause the sauce to separate.
  • The cheese sauce is has a hint of smoke from the bacon added for flavor which just happens to be a combination of two of their favorite things to eat.
  • The gooey cheddar bacon cheese sauce is homemade and honestly it takes this dish over-the-top.
  • Serve this Cheesy Macaroni Casserole with a side of Fried Green Beans, Lima Beans or a simple bag of your favorite steamed vegetables. A Seven Layer Salad would be a stellar option as well.
  • You can keep this Hot Dog Cheesy Macaroni Casserole chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in single servings in the microwave.
Hot Dog Cheesy Macaroni Casserole

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Hot Dog Cheesy Macaroni Casserole

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: hot-dog-cheesy-macaroni-casserole
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 681kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz box jumbo or classic elbow macaroni
  • 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled, reserve 2 Tbsp drippings
  • 7 Tbsp butter divided
  • 1 small sweet onion diced
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp garlic salt
  • 2 tsp ground mustard
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 4 cup whole milk
  • 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
  • 8 bun length quality all-beef hot dogs. 1/4 inch slice i.e. Nathan’s
  • 2 green onion thinly sliced

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 12 x 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Cook the macaroni in salted water per the package directions until al dente. Drain well.
  • Meanwhile, in a separate pan over medium-high heat add 6 Tbsp of butter to reserved 2 Tbsp bacon drippings. Add onion.
  • Cook for 3 minutes until the onion has softened. Lower the heat to medium and add the flour, garlic salt, mustard and black pepper. Stir until the flour has absorbed the butter. Cook stirring constantly for 1 minute.
  • Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil then immediately lower the temperature to low heat. Allow to bubble gently for 5 minutes to thicken.
  • Remove sauce from heat. Add 3 cups cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon. Reserve 2 Tbsp crumbled bacon for garnishing. Stir until the cheese has melted.
  • Pour sauce over macaroni. Add hot dogs. Mix until macaroni is evenly coated and hot dogs are evenly distributed. Pour into the baking dish.
  • Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Dot with 1 Tbsp butter.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and bubbly.
  • Garnish with bacon crumbles and sliced green onion. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 681kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 1317mg | Potassium: 307mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 886IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 454mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

15 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was really good. I didn’t use any bacon and used Olive Oil to substitute for the bacon grease. The sauce seemed a little too mild for my taste so next time I’ll increase the amount of spices and will add salt. The guys liked it but asked for more hot dogs next time also.

    1. Please note, there’s already 2 tsp salt in this recipe. It’s certainly fine to adapt using oil, but it absolutely will affect the flavor as you experienced.

  2. Can this be frozen? I want to freeze it in separate containers so my grandson can freeze Them when gets back to college.

    1. 5 stars
      My grandson loved it he said it was the best Mac & cheese he had. He is in town this week and asked me to make it for him to take back with him.
      I am assuming I can use 2% milk I don’t to make another trip to the store.

  3. Hotdogs don’t have to be cooked before mixing with other ingredients & into casserole?

    1. No need to, they’ll cook in the oven. That said, if you have leftover grilled hot dogs you can certainly slice and use those in this for a round 2 meal.

    1. Hi Holly, it’s a great question. I’ve never tested it so, I couldn’t tell you with certainty. If you try it, let us know how it goes.

  4. 5 stars
    Hi Melissa! Fellow food blogger here! I don’t cook with much gluten or dairy over on my corner of the Interent, so when I decided I was going to serve macaroni and cheese at our annual friends Christmas shindig, I knew I was going to need to call in some back-up. That’s where this recipe came in (I found it on Pinterest)!

    So I kept it gluten-free by using a 1:1 gluten-free flour and gluten-free rice pasta while following the rest of your recipe to a tee and oh my goodness gracious -it turned out FANTASTIC. Not one person questioned whether or not it was gluten-free and both pans (I doubled the recipe) were demolished by the end of the night!

    This is going to be my new go-to recipe for parties and potlucks! Thank you thank you thank you for sharing such an incredible dish! Happy Holidays!

    1. Hi Krista, how wonderful! Thanks for sharing your gluten free adaptations, it may help others who have the same dietary restrictions. Happy New Year to you and yours.

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