Hot Dog Spaghetti
Looking for a crowd-pleasing dish that won’t break the bank during the big game? This Hot Dog Spaghetti is about to become your secret weapon for feeding hungry sports fans. When I first served this at a playoff watch party, everyone was skeptical – until the pot was completely empty before halftime! The best part? You can feed a crowd for less than the cost of two delivery pizzas.
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What makes Hot Dog Spaghetti one of the best economical-minded foods for a crowd
Folks who watched Young Sheldon may already know that Hot Dog Spaghetti is the main character’s favorite food. However, you don’t need to be a fan of the show to make a delicious and budget-friendly recipe.
With food prices soaring, more people are looking for inexpensive, easy-to-make, and tasty meal ideas, and this recipe for hot dogs and spaghetti ticks all the boxes. Made from inexpensive staple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, this is a great option for feeding a hungry family, did we mention this is a super easy recipe to make?
What makes this recipe so good?
Everyone loves pasta, and everyone loves hot dogs. But not everyone thinks of combining the two.
This spaghetti with hot dogs recipe takes a basic pasta sauce and ramps the flavor with sauteed onions, green pepper, minced garlic, and sliced hot dogs. Tossed with spaghetti and plenty of parmesan cheese, it’s an easy casual meal to customize.
Why This is Perfect for Game Day
- Make it ahead and keep warm in a slow cooker
- Easy to eat from a bowl while watching the game
- Feeds a crowd on the cheap
- Can be doubled or tripled for larger parties
- No fancy ingredients to hunt down
- Kid-friendly for family watch parties
Hot Dog Spaghetti ingredients
For the Pasta:
- Spaghetti noodles – The affordable base that stretches your dollar and fills up hungry fans
- Salt (for pasta water) – Make sure your pasta isn’t bland – nobody wants that at a party
For the Sauce:
- Olive oil – Gets everything going in the pan and adds a touch of richness
- White onion – Adds sweetness and flavor while stretching the meat further
- Green bell pepper – Adds crunch and color – plus it’s one of the cheapest fresh vegetables
- Fresh garlic – Because every good game day dish needs garlic
- Hot dogs – The star player – familiar, loved by all, and budget-friendly
- Tomato spaghetti sauce – Your sauce base – grab it when it’s on sale and stock up
- Parmesan cheese – The finishing touch that makes it feel fancier than it is
Since the recipe calls for adding a lot of veggies to the sauce, don’t go with a heavily seasoned pasta sauce.
How to make hot dogs and spaghetti
To cook the pasta:
- Fill a large stockpot with water and salt.
- Cover the pot and bring the salted water to a boil.
- Add the uncooked spaghetti and cook it according to the time on the package. While the spaghetti is cooking, you have time to prepare the sauce.
To make the sauce:
- Dice the white onions and green peppers into small pieces. Keep it for later.
- Mince the garlic cloves and reserve.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil.
- Slice the hot dogs into one-inch pieces and saute in the skillet.
- Once the pieces of hot dogs start to color, add the diced onions and green peppers.
- Cook until the onions begin to become translucent while stirring occasionally.
- Add the minced garlic. Stir frequently until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour in the tomato sauce and stir to combine the ingredients. Cook until the sauce starts to simmer.
- Toss the cooked spaghetti with the sauce.
- Plate and garnish with parmesan cheese.
- If you want to be extra fancy, you could garnish this with parsley just before serving.
Budget-Friendly Variations
Protein Options:
- Slice hot dogs into “coins” to make them go further
- Mix in sliced Polish sausage when it’s on sale
- Use turkey hot dogs to keep it lighter
- Add a can of drained beans to stretch servings
Veggie Additions (All Under $1):
- Diced carrots
- Sliced mushrooms (when on sale)
- Extra bell peppers
- Frozen mixed vegetables
Party Planning Tips
Scaling for a Crowd:
- For 12-15 people: Double everything
- For 20+ people: Triple it and use multiple pots
- Consider making two versions (one spicy, one mild)
- Prep veggies the day before to save time
Keep Warm Options:
Make fresh batches by quarters during longer games
Slow cooker on warm setting (up to 4 hours)
Large covered roasting pan in a low-temp oven
What to serve it with
Anything you typically have with spaghetti will work well with this recipe. Here are a few classic sides you may want to try:
- Garlic bread. The classic side for any pasta dish, garlic bread adds a buttery, garlicky crunch that pairs perfectly with the savory flavors of the dish.
- Salad. A fresh simple green salad with some tangy Italian dressing will add a refreshing zing to your meal. Or you may prefer the crunch of a Caesar Salad.
- Vegetables: Simply cooked vegetables like air-fried broccoli, steamed green beans, or boiled carrots add color, texture, and nutrition to the meal.
How to store the leftovers
You can cool down the sauced spaghetti and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, but it is best to store the sauce separately to keep the spaghetti from getting too soft.
For the best texture, reheat any leftover sauced spaghetti the next day, but you can store the sauce alone for about three days.
What is the best way to reheat spaghetti with hot dogs?
It is perfectly okay to reheat spaghetti with hot dogs cut up in the microwave. Heat each portion in a covered microwavable bowl for about one minute and thirty seconds.
If you keep the sauce by itself, reheat it in a skillet over medium-low heat and then toss it with fresh pasta. If the hot dog sauce is too thick, add some more tomato sauce to thin it out.
More spaghetti recipes
- Cheddar’s Spasagna (Spaghetti Lasagna)
- Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
- Jollibee Spaghetti
- Olive Garden Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Taco Spaghetti Casserole
Check out more of my easy pasta recipes to make on any day.
Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Ingredients
- 1 pound hot dogs cut into bite-sized slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup chopped white onion
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 24 ounces spaghetti sauce
- 1 pound spaghetti prepared according to package directions
- Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti in according to package direction in a large pot of water.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the hot dogs in olive oil for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and bell peppers and continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the spaghetti sauce and mix well.
- Serve the sauce over spaghetti and top with Parmesan cheese.
REVEALED Olive Garden Copycat Recipes
yes, you CAN make it at home! I’ll show you how.