Hot dogs are already easy to prepare, but they’re even easier to use as leftovers in a creative “outside-the-bun” meal.
Try these five tasty hot dog recipes, and you’ll see why leftover hot dogs are one of our favorite time-saving dinner hacks.
Start with uncured, 100% beef hot dogs from Coleman Natural, and you’re sure to end up with one or more great meals!
Deconstructed Chicago Dog Salad
It doesn’t get much more American than a Chicago Dog, and it doesn’t get easier to enjoy the great flavors of this dish than with this Deconstructed Chicago Dog Salad recipe. Use gluten-free, sugar-free pickles, and you’ll have a gluten-free, keto-friendly meal, too!
Grilled hot dogs taste great in this salad. For perfectly charred and juicy dogs, remember to cook them over medium-low heat and turn often. Coleman Uncured Beef Hot Dogs grill up in about 8-10 minutes.
This recipe takes only 15 minutes from start to finish, giving you more quality time with your family on a sunny day.
Even better, bring this dish with you outside—it makes great picnic food! Combine all of the salad ingredients, except the lettuce and dressing, ahead of time, then when you’re ready to eat, add the crisp lettuce in and pour the dressing over the dish.
Chili Cheese Dog Pockets
These Chili Cheese Dog Pockets make irresistible chili dogs less messy and more convenient.
To prepare, you’ll heat your chili of choice in a saucepan and cut pita pockets in half (whole wheat or whole grain pitas are a healthy option, but any pita will do). Then just open the pitas and add the heated chili, leftover hot dogs, and cheese.
As this recipe suggests, hot dogs browned in a seasoned cast iron skillet are a good choice because they’re full of smoky flavor, but feel free to grill or heat as you prefer.
This dish can also be prepared in advance and finished shortly before eating. For example, combine the filling ingredients and cut and prep the pita pockets prior to arriving at a cookout, then just heat it on the stove or grill, stuff the pockets, and serve.
You can even offer people additional toppings that they might normally enjoy on a chili dog, like chopped onions, hot sauce, pickles or pickle relish, or peppers.
Kid Friendly Chili Mac and Cheese With Hot Dogs
This Kid Friendly Chili Mac and Cheese With Hot Dogs recipe will quickly become one of your favorite dishes to whip up on a weeknight. This one-pot dish takes about 25 minutes to prepare, requires little hands-on prep, and satisfies picky kids and adults.
Just cut your leftover franks and brown them a second time with some onions before adding the rest of the ingredients to a pot. You can get some work done or help the kids clean up for dinner as you wait for the pasta to boil.
Using a fun pasta shape is the perfect way to make this dish that much more exciting for your family, and you can even sneak some more nutrients in with a veggie pasta.
Crank up the spice or tone it down to your kids’ preferred heat level to make sure everyone at the dinner table finishes their plate. You probably won’t have leftovers, but if you do, they’ll stay good in the refrigerator for a few days. This easy recipe is also good for feeding a crowd.
Hot Dog Fried Rice
All-American hot dogs get an Asian twist in this recipe for Hot Dog Fried Rice.
Many Asian fried rice recipes use sausage as the primary protein because it stays juicy even after stir-frying, and it’s full of flavor. One of the great things about hot dogs is that they have just as much flavor when eaten leftover as when eaten fresh, and they’re always juicy!
To make this fried rice, you’ll saute the vegetables before adding the cooked white rice and hot dogs to the pan. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and let them all get to know each other for better flavor.
This recipe can be customized to your dietary needs. You can add more vegetables, use brown rice, or even make the meal gluten-free by using a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari soy sauce. Or go keto-friendly by using cauliflower rice and non-starchy veggies like broccoli or cabbage.
All-beef hot dogs from Coleman Natural are perfect in this healthy dish because they contain all-natural, simple ingredients—just high quality beef trimmings from humanely-raised cattle, seasonings, and salt.
Corn Muffin Hot Dog Sliders
Corn Muffin Hot Dog Sliders taste like comfort food, but take only a fraction of the time to make.
You’ll just bake the corn muffins before heating up your leftover hot dogs and adding them to the hot muffins. You can heat your leftover dogs in a skillet, in the oven, or even in the microwave.
This recipe was designed with busy families in mind. For an even easier way to get food on the table, you can use boxed corn muffin mix and make those according to package instructions, or pick up some fresh or frozen muffins from the grocery store or bakery.
Give this leftover hot dog recipe a try if your family loves Southern food. Let people garnish their own sliders if you have picky eaters at home.
Why Coleman Uncured Beef Hot Dogs Make Great Leftovers
You don’t have to compromise on quality when making these quick and easy leftover hot dog recipes.
Coleman Natural uncured hot dogs contain high quality, natural ingredients and are made with beef from cattle raised in the USA without added hormones or antibiotics. We partner with American family farmers who raise their livestock humanely and naturally.
You can feel good about feeding your family our all-beef hot dogs—fresh or leftover!
