5 Clever Ways to Make Eating Hot Dogs More Fun

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fun hot dog shapes on plates

Your kids will love these cute and silly hot dog hacks!

Want to make meals more fun for little ones? These clever ways to make hot dog are sure to give your kids something to look forward to at dinnertime.

woman holding plate with silly and fun hot dogs

From cheese-haired octopus’ to cute caterpillars, your kids will get a good laugh out of these silly, but simple ways to make hot dogs!


1. Bring sea life to the table with octopus hot dogs.

Octopus hot dogs on top of green noodles on a plate

If you have a kiddo who loves the ocean and sea creatures, they will go crazy over octopus hot dogs! My kids love this idea because they are all about sea life right now! They even asked if we could keep an octopus hot dog for decoration. 😆

A little girl holding a plate with noodles and a hot dog

To make it even more fun, give your octopus hot dogs hair by covering their heads in ketchup and shredded cheese and then place them on a bed of green noodles to mimic seaweed! Here’s a quick video for how to make octopus hot dogs at home.


2. Serve up some friendly spider hot dogs.

Spider-shaped franks on a plate

8-legged critters don’t have to be scary, at least not when they’re in the form of edible spiders. This hot dog idea is so easy and fun!  Want to give your not-so-creepy crawler some personality? Decorate the face with a food marker and wrap crescent roll dough around the middle for the body.

Spider hot dogs are also a great idea for a festive Halloween meal that your kids will love digging into!


3. Take noodles to the next level with hot dog spaghetti.

holding hot dog spaghetti on fork

This is one of my family’s favorite quick and easy meals to whip up! My kids can’t get enough hot dog spaghetti and it’s a great way to get them involved in the kitchen.

A little boy eating hot dog spaghetti at a table

You can also jazz up the dish with your favorite pasta sauce, shredded cheese, or veggies. Head over here to check out our post on how to make hot dog spaghetti!


4. Get the perfect bun-length franks with spiral hot dogs.

A hand holding a spiraled hot dog

For this hot dog hack, all you’ll need is a kabob skewer and, of course, hot dogs. The technique is simple, but the results are fun and fancy! By cutting the hot dog at an angle around the skewer, you’ll have a nice spiral shape that fits the length of a bun perfectly.

If you like grilled or charred hot dogs, this method is a smart way to give your franks a caramelized texture all around. The spiral shape also makes it easier to add toppings into the crevices of the hot dog. Learn how to master your spiral hot dog technique with this quick tutorial!


5. Make food art with caterpillar hot dogs.

A hand holding a plate with lettuce and hot dogs

The transformation of hot dogs isn’t quite as exciting as the transformation of a butterfly, but caterpillar hot dogs sure are fun and tasty! To bring your cute critters to life, cut multiple slits into the hot dogs, but do not cut all the way through so your caterpillar stays connected.

Set the scene around your caterpillar hot dogs with lettuce for grass and a dollop of mustard for the sun. You can also give your caterpillar legs with ketchup drizzles!


Want to take basic macaroni to the next level? Check out these clever boxed mac & cheese hacks!

Join The Discussion

Comments 5

  1. Rn404

    Barf

    • 5pink1blue

      Don’t yuck their yum! Most kids love hot dogs – adults not so much.

  2. VickiB

    My husband does the spaghetti hot dogs and the kids love it! May have to try the spiral trick 😋

  3. Sue

    The octopus and spider shapes actually look icky. I would not want to eat it looking that way but I can’t say for kids. To me I think it would put them off to where they would not want it.

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