Hot Diggity Dog Left Over Ideas

Better to have too much food rather than not enough. Stinkers 4th birthday party went well. The house is now in order and we are getting back to "normal" (whatever that may be).

With over 20 cooked hot dogs left over and closer to 40 buns (some people didnt use buns which threw my number off). I know you can freeze bread/buns but I had concerns about the bread drying out still PLUS I had no food plans for this week.  I had to get creative this week for the meals, but  because of work and school still keep it simple. I didnt want to throw the food away nor run to the grocery store.

Check out the ways we "recycled" the hot dogs and buns without getting sick of them.

• Homemade Croutons
• Corn Dog Muffins Found this recipe on pinterest. Thank you Taste of home  for the idea.  *Only difference from this recipe we used fresh corn because it is fall time here in MI. *
• Bruchetta
• Coney Pizza
• Bread Pudding - Thank you Foodnetwork for your recipe! We didnt add the nuts or rasins because our boys dont care for them.  Next time... I would suggest adding at least one of them which will tame down the sweetnees. WHEW it was sweet, yummy but sweet! Also, we used a packaged of hot dog buns chopped up and sat over 2 nights (to dry up). This was a fantastic evening snack hot with a cup of coffee building a puzzle as a family. Cant think of a better relaxing evening.

Bruchetta - quick and easy using hot dog buns

With many leftover hot dog buns from Stinkers 4th Birthday party; I had to get creative to reuse the leftovers.

Bruchetta on the left with chicken pasta. Great Fall dinner.

Bruchetta
With my garden overflowing with tomatoes and now the leftover hot dog buns this seemed too silly to not create.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 larger tomatoes (peeled and chopped OR you can use a can of tamatoes drained once again with garden season we used fresh because they were on hand)
• 1 clove of fresh garlic (thank you garden season garlic is full bloom and tasty as can be)
• 2 teaspoon garlic/balsamic vinegar (I had garlic expressions in my fridge and used that)
• fresh basil leaves, chopped to your liking (you could also use italian seasoning here)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 package of hot dog buns
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat.
2. In a bowl mix the tomatoes, garlic, garlic/balsamic vinegar. Add the chopped basil and add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
4. Split the hot dog buns apart so a package of 8 buns is now 16 pieces of slice of soon to be fantastic bruchetta lay on the foil cookie sheet.
5. Brush with Olive Oil and flip all pieces over to brush again.
6. Place tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack (I used my toaster over so I did it in a couple of batches). Toast for 3-5 minutes on each side, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown and get crunchy.
7. Place on serving platter with the brucheeta tomatoe mixture on the side to allow everyone to have control of how much they would like and avoid the bread to not get soggy before eating. This also makes for easier leftovers as you can retoast the bread quikly and add your mixture as needed.

Homemade Croutons

With many leftover hot dog buns from Stinkers 4th Birthday party; I had to get creative to reuse the leftovers.

I made a few batches of homemade croutons thinking it would be PERFECT for Fall Season fresh salads and in soups.

Homemade Croutons
I researched a few recipes and mixed and matched to make my own. Below measurements are just esitmates but that is part of the fun of making something like this. It doesnt have to be perfect!

Ingredients:

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

• 2 packages of hot dog buns (chopped up)
• 1/2 cupbutter, melted
• 2 tbls Italian Seasoning
• 2 tsp Garlic Salt
• 1 tsp Onion Powder

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375° F.
2. Cut the buns into small pieces (about 1inch). Place on a baking sheet lined aluminum foil.
3. Drizzle with the butter, sprinkle with salt and the herbs. Bake, turning and mixing on occasion to crisp all ends for about 10-15min/ until golden and crispy.
4. Let cool completely and transfer in a resealable plastic bag/ container. I've read you can store them for about 5 to 7 days in fridge OR you can freezer for up to 3 months. We haven't gotten that far but I did try some the past couple of days and so far I'm very pleased.

 

Coney Pizza

With many leftover hot dog buns from Stinkers 4th Birthday party; I had to get creative to reuse the leftovers.

A family favorite!

Coney pizza... this time we added salami too (a little less spicey that pepperoni for the kids).

Ingredients:

• 1 pizza crust dough
• 1 can of chili no beans or corn dog chili
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4-6 chopped hot dogs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar (we prefer shar cheddar for this pizza)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Unroll and press pizza dough on floured baking pan.
3. Spread the chili sauce leaving some edge for crust if you prefer.
4. Top sauce with chopped onion, hot dogs, and cheese
5. Bake pizza 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.
6. Top with favorite condiments such as ketchup or mustard if you wish or eat it the way it is. Yummy!