Ingredients:
2 large hot dogs cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
2 cups evaporated milk*
2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar
1/3 cup panko
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lb macaroni or (my favorite)cellentani, cooked
Directions:
For the béchamel: In a medium pan, melt the butter. Add the flour along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, cayenne and stir until smooth. Add the milk and mustard and whisk until slightly thickened. Whisk in the cheeses until smooth. Stir in the hot dog slices. Pour over the drained pasta. Pour into lightly oiled baking dish. Top with a sprinkle of panko. Bake covered about 15 minutes, then uncover and cook until hot and bubbly, about 10-15 additional minutes.
Yield: about 4-6 (meal sized) servings
* Most cans of evaporated milk only yield about 1 3/4 cups. Make up the rest with regular milk.
Note: Avoid using hot dogs with a very high fat content or your macaroni and cheese will become unappetizingly greasy as it bakes and the hot dogs release their juices.
My thoughts:
Don’t tell anyone where you got this recipe! While it is super tasty, it is also rather embarrassing to admit that you not only made it but that were no children were present to use as an excuse. My mom had made mac and cheese with hot dogs (although not quite this version) when I was a kid a couple of times. I think she saw the suggestion in a magazine because it wasn’t exactly our usual fare. Anyway, I was telling my husband about the disappointing casserole book I had read and I revealed that I had eaten this somewhat dubious dish; the closest to a casserole I ever had growing up. He was intrigued (we do love hot dogs) so when I ended up with a couple flavorful but not too fatty Roseda Beef hot dogs leftover from an earlier meal, I knew what I had to make.
While the mac and cheese of my childhood was infrequent and consisted simply of macaroni tossed with shredded cheese and then baked, I’ve grown to enjoy a bit of creamy sauce. However, I avoid making it with the traditional heavy cream, that is a little too rich for me. Instead I use evaporated milk with is quite creamy tasting but is also 98% fat free. Regular (2%) milk works well as an alternative if you don’t have evaporated on hand. Since I was making macaroni cheese with hot dogs I went ahead and added some mustard to the sauce. It was a perfect choice, it added a bit of spice and extra sharpness to the cheddar.
I’ve been getting lot of emails about cheap eats and I am happy to say this was a very filling, very budget-friendly meal. While the locally produced hot dogs (bought at Graul’s for you locals) were on the pricy side ($8 for 6 hot dogs), the cheese was about $2, the evaporated milk was 80 cents and the pasta was only $1. The remaining ingredients were cheap staples. Add some broccoli ($1 lb) on the side and you have a complete, thrifty meal.
Cellentani is my favorite pasta, I use it for Mac & Cheese and Salads all the time. It can be hard to find sometimes!
This sounds tasy…You know I love a good hotdog!
When I saw this recipe I had to try it. I made it tonight and it was fantastic! I used Barilla Plus pasta (for some extra nutrition) and Hebrew National 98% fat free hot dogs (I sliced them then sauteed them without any oil in a pan).
It was so filling and delicious that all I wanted to do was eat more! This is definitely staying on my list of comfort food! THANKS!!
This was (and yes secretly is still) a longtime favorite. Sometimes… you just gotta 🙂
As I started to read through your recipe, my first thought was this is a great kid-friendly recipe:-) Suddenly, I laughed out loud because I read your line about not having children….this is one of those satisfying comfort foods that you do not have to be a kid to enjoy.
Very nice blog post!
I can't wait to make this! My boyfriend will absolutely love this! It looks so cheesy, delicious and like something I used to enjoy as a kid.
Hahaha I love mac n cheese! One of my most fav comfort foods. Cool blog! Love the name!
This sounds exactly like something I would have had as a kid! My mom also made a casserole with hot dogs and beans…and I still crave it from time to time!
No qualms about the kid stuff – it keeps you young! 😉 I add turkey hot dogs to my salads and it's quite tasty. I haven't had mac & cheese in a long time and this definitely has me craving some.
This would be a HUGE hit in my house!!