Hot Dog Macaroni and Cheese
Cheesy, gooey macaroni and cheese loaded with sliced hot dogs is comfort food done right! Quick, kid-friendly, and perfect for family dinners.
Servings 10 servings
Calories 681kcal
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz box jumbo or classic elbow macaroni
- 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled, reserve 2 Tbsp drippings
- 7 Tbsp butter divided use
- 1 small sweet onion finely 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 use
- 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 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook the macaroni in a large pot of salted water per the package directions until al dente. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pan over medium-high heat melt butter (6 tablespoons) with reserved 2 tablespoons bacon drippings. Add diced onion.
- Cook onions 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 heat to low setting. Allow to bubble gently for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Remove sauce from heat. Add 3 cups of the cheese and crumbled bacon. Stir until the cheese has melted. (Reserve 2 Tbsp crumbled bacon for garnishing.)
- Pour sauce over macaroni. Add hot dog pieces. Stir until the macaroni is evenly coated with the sauce and the hot dogs are evenly distributed. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Dot with remaining 1 Tbsp butter.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
- Garnish with bacon crumbles and sliced green onion. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Hot Dogs - You can use beef hot dogs, turkey hot dogs, chicken hot dogs or pork hot dogs in this recipe. I highly recommend using a premium hot dog for the best flavor. Go with a brand that you enjoy and you'll be good to go. You could also adapt this recipe using smoked sausages.
- Pasta - I use jumbo elbow macaroni in this recipe just because we love it. Please note that classic elbow macaroni will work as well. Jumbo macaroni has ridges which really holds onto the sauce. You could also use any similar size pasta.
- Bacon - The cheese sauce has a hint of smokiness from the bacon which adds another layer of flavor. You could use turkey bacon or omit the bacon, if desired.
- Cheese - You could use medium cheddar cheese, white cheddar, colby jack cheese or spicy pepper jack cheese.
- Spices - You could use plain salt and garlic powder in place of garlic salt. You could also add a few dashes of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne or chili powder for spice.
- Vegetables - You could add steamed broccoli florets or a handful of baby spinach leaves.
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