Hotdogs & Macaroni (or whatever easy side you want) - A Quick Dinner Recipe for When You're On the Go (or not)

Look how carefree whoever took this photo was, tossing condiments around like confetti!

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If you're looking for a quick dinner recipe, look no further! Listen... I know this isn't technically a recipe, but I needed a web address to send you to in order to save some paper & ink in the 'ole "Busy Week Survival Cookbook", so here we are.

Yes, I am absolutely recommending that occasionally it's actually okay to (deep breaths) feed your family hotdogs and boxed macaroni for dinner (gasp!). "Fed is best" sometimes also applies to you and/or your immediate family. Bonus points - It's really easy to transport pre-made hot dogs, which is why this one lands under the "No Brainer" section AND the "Portables" section - we love a multi-tasker even if we aren't one 💁‍♀️

This is one of our go-to easy meals on weeks where the kids have multiple practices. I can stomach fast food mayyyybe one day a week, but 2 is no dice for me, so when one or both of the kids are involved in an after school activity, I rotate a handful of these "Portable" meals to save our tummies and our wallets.

Serves	Prep Time	Total Time
3-6	5 minutes	IDK? 20 minutes?

Ingredients:

1 pack of hotdogs - I like Private Selection All Beef Hotdogs or Simple Truth Uncured Grass-Fed Hot Dogs from Kroger, but you do you!

1 Pack of hotdog buns

Side(s) of choice - If we're eating at home, I like to pair hotdogs with some good old fashioned boxed mac & cheese (bonus points if it's the store brand) and/or a vegetable. If we're on the go, I pack a handful of baked chips, pre-made popcorn and/or pretzels & assorted fruits and/or fruit leathers. It's like eating at the concession stand without paying $8 for a chicken scrap hotdog!

Directions:

1. Cook the hotdogs - Follow the directions on the package if you want, but I personally like to boil them in shallow water in a big pan until the water evaporates and then let them cook a little longer until the "skin" starts to brown - It kind of reminds me of hotdogs off the grill, which I LOVE.

2. Cook the side(s) - This part will depend on what option(s) you chose for sides, but follow the directions on the packaging if you're cooking. Otherwise, skip to the next part!

3. Pack everything up (optional) - If you're headed out on the road before or at dinner time, go ahead and put the hotdogs inside their buns - If you're down to your last couple of buns, you can even use the buns bag to transport them; if not, I like to pack them in a reusable container or re-closable baggy without any condiments on them. I try to pack as much as I can in one bag because we're probably already carrying a bunch of stuff, so I like bags like this that are lined to help keep foods hot or cold and are super easy to clean when something inevitably spills in there. It's also super convenient that there's multiple sections and the tops is expandable to give you more or less space. Don't forget your sides and water bottles so you don't have to buy extras there, or worse, get stuck without something to wash down this All-American meal on the go! (oh, and condiments - If you can't live without condiments, don't forget to pack those up in travel containers; I usually don't do this part because I just don't want to.