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How to Make a Hot Dog Casserole

No niche left unfilled

It recently came to my attention that there are no articles on Medium that specifically reference how to prepare a sumptuous and mouth-watering hot dog casserole. Thankfully, as of write now (yep, intended) that tragedy has been ended.

Thanks to Holly Jahangiri and Tree Langdon ♾️ that brought this black hole of hot dog casserole recipes on Medium to light. To you both, we are all in debt!

A hot dog casserole you say? What in the name of all holy might that be? Well let’s do a brief history then launch directly into the two glorious manifestations of this classic meal.

Hot Dog History

Evidence of the existence of sausages (chopped meat, spices and fillers stuffed into casings) is available in Homer’s Odyssey as early as the 9th century B.C. according to this article in What’s Cooking America.

According to What’s Cooking, a hot dog is, “a cooked sausage that consists of a combination of beef and pork, or is all beef, which is cured, smoked and cooked”. A hot dog may masquerade under a variety of names such as: “weenie, wienie, dog, red hot, frank, or frankfurter”.

The evolution of the hot dog came about when someone decided that cooked sausages were darned hot and difficult to hold and eat. So, they put the sausage into a bread sleeve called a bun. Possibly this was done as a way to present a quick meal to workers in the industrial age, or maybe not.

In any case, the hot dog as we know it emerged from the sausage-in-bun era to become mass produced and marketed as a hot dog rather than a mere sausage that happens to be in a bun. Ergo, no bun is now necessary to declare a particular type of tubular meat product as a hot dog. It now stands on its own merit.

The Hot Dog Casserole

Once the auto dependency on a bun as a defining parameter was eliminated, we were free to use the hot dog on its own as a center piece or adjunct to a meal. Yay! Hot dog casserole here we come!

There are two main branches of the hot dog casserole family. One where the dog itself is the centerpiece of gastronomic focus and another branch where the hot dog is added to a self-standing casserole to enhance its culinary appeal.

The latter may be the most common manifestation of this refined dining extravaganza. Moms, dads and other chefs, amateur to pro, have been known to slice up hot dogs and insert them into the classic Macaroni and Cheese offering, elevating it from side dish to main event with the addition of this renowned protein. Garnished with ketchup, as desired, this epicurean masterpiece has pleased adults and kids alike for decades.

The recipe is simple: take an existing casserole recipe and add hot dogs! YUM! What could be more simple or delicious?

For those of you looking for more of a challenge, orienting the casserole around the venerable sausage can be just the trick to obtain new heights in gourmet fare. The clear choice for complimentary ingredients are ones that highlight the flavor and nuance of the dog.

Potatoes, pasta and beans are sure-fire add ins for a hot dog casserole (although maybe not all at the same time?), as are onions, peppers and maybe even mushrooms. Your imagination is your only real limitation to what you can create from the sanguine foundation of the hot dog.

Requiring special note as an adjunct to any hot dog casserole is the function of cheese. From Velveeta to a spicy pepper jack, cheese will add that special boost to flavor that will send your casserole over the top and into the stomachs and hearts of those you love.

In fact, if the title of your casserole extraordinaire does not include “cheesy” then perhaps you are “barking” up the wrong tree. Keep that in mind.

One more pro tip: crescent roll dough. Enough said.

Personally, I am the type of chef that eschews traditional recipe formats, I like to experiment on my own with some basic ingredients and see what turns up. However, another approach I use is to take the best pieces from existing recipes and tweak, add or combine to make my own masterpiece.

So, whether you follow recipes down to the 1/16th of a teaspoon or like to free form, here are some that I picked from the internet to get you started. Personally. I am leaning towards the “Cheesy Hot Dog Tater Tot Casserole” from Spicy Southern Kitchen. Chili dog meets tater tots? Yes please!

Other promising prospects include the “Hot Dog Casserole” from Taste of Home that incorporates potatoes and cheese (yay cheese!) into something that looks like scalloped potatoes with a hot dog flair. Sounds delish.

Here is a pretty classic mac and cheese hot dog recipe from Food.com, and an offering from Pillsbury (there is going to be crescent dough, just you watch) that includes baked beans.

I hope you have as much fun making and serving your hot dog casseroles to family and friends as I did researching and writing this little story. Probably doesn’t need to be said, but I am not affiliated with any of these recipes or sites. They link to info I found by searching the internet.

Happy hot dogging!

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Timothy Key spent over 26 years in the fire service as a firefighter/paramedic and various fire chief management roles. He firmly believes that bad managers destroy more than companies, and good managers create a passion that is contagious. Compassion, grace and gratitude drive the world; or at least they should. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and join the mail list.