This dump-and-bake hot dog casserole is sure to be a winner for your next family dinner! You don’t even have to boil the pasta before stirring everything together. The easy, cheesy comfort food bakes in the oven with one dish and just 10 minutes of prep time!
Table of Contents
If you love dump-and-bake dinners, be sure to try this dump-and-bake chicken alfredo pasta casserole, our wildly popular dump-and-bake meatball casserole, and this zesty dump-and-bake Cajun sausage pasta, too!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- One Dish. Nobody wants to wash a sink full of dishes at the end of a meal! Fortunately, you can stir everything together in a single baking dish, minimizing the pots and pans to clean later.
- Minimal Prep. You don’t even have to cook pasta or prep any ingredients, and the noodles come out tender and perfect every time! It might not be fancy, but you’re going to appreciate the dump-and-bake method of cooking on busy weeknights!
- Budget-friendly. If you need a hearty, satisfying, and flavorful meal that won’t break the bank, hot dog casserole is the way to go.
- Kid-friendly. Some choosy little eaters might cling tightly to their “safe” favorites — like hot dogs and mac and cheese. Lucky for you, this dish combines those familiar flavors in a delicious casserole that just happens to be adult-friendly, too.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to make this easy hot dog casserole recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Rotini: This recipe is specifically tested with rotini noodles, which have a suggested cooking time of 7-8 minutes on the box. If you need to sub with a different short pasta shape, you may need to adjust the baking time as well.
- Alfredo sauce: for a creamy, garlicky sauce. You’ll need an extra large 22-ounce jar for this recipe — not the smaller 15-ounce size. If you can’t find the 22-ounce jar, purchase two smaller jars and just measure the sauce to equal 2 ½ cups total. Have a little bit more time? Use a homemade Alfredo sauce instead.
- Low-sodium or unsalted chicken broth: or sub with water. This is extra liquid for the pasta to absorb as it cooks in the oven.
- Cheddar cheese: for a cheesy filling and extra cheese on top.
- Hot dogs: you’ll need a 16-ounce package. I use Oscar Mayer wieners, which come in a pack of 10. Any brand or variety that you prefer works fine. Instead of hotdogs, try other sliced, fully-cooked sausage, such as smoked sausage, kielbasa, or andouille sausage.
- Petite diced tomatoes: or sub with regular diced tomatoes. Leave these out if your kids don’t like them, or sub with different veggies such as broccoli florets or diced zucchini. Frozen peas or corn are good when you stir them in at the end, too.
- Spices: chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, and cayenne pepper give the casserole a little bit of extra flavor and remind me of the flavors you’d find in a chili dog sauce. Use more chili powder for a more prominent taste.
Directions
Start by preheating your oven, because there’s very little prep work necessary for this old fashioned hot dog casserole! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Stir together the Alfredo, broth, uncooked pasta, half of the cheese, the hotdogs, tomatoes, and seasoning. It looks like a lot of liquid, but the noodles will absorb a lot of it as they cook, releasing starches that also thicken the sauce.
- Cover the dish tightly and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove the cover, give the mixture a stir, and check to make sure that it’s al dente.
- Top with a layer of shredded cheese.
- Return the dish to the oven and bake for 5-10 more minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this cheesy hot dog casserole with a house salad, a fruit salad with vanilla pudding, or with veggies like okra and tomatoes, garlic roasted broccoli, Southern-style green beans, or a cucumber tomato onion salad. You might also like a basket of sour cream blueberry muffins, banana nut muffins, blueberry bread, or a skillet of Southern cornbread on the side.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the casserole a few hours in advance, or even leave it covered in the refrigerator overnight before baking. The pasta will start to soften and absorb some of the liquid as it sits, so you may need to decrease the baking time slightly. You don’t want to overcook the casserole or you’ll end up with gummy, mushy pasta.
- Storage: This casserole is best enjoyed immediately from the oven. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The pasta will dry out a bit as it sits.
- I do not recommend freezing this casserole because pasta has a tendency to get gummy and mushy when thawed.
Helpful Tips
- To feed a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish. You might be able to reduce the total baking time by a few minutes, but otherwise the instructions remain the same.
- Don’t have rotini pasta? You can substitute with other similar short pasta shapes such as penne, rigatoni, or elbows. Just pick a pasta that has a similar cooking time as the rotini (about 7-8 minutes recommended on the package) — otherwise you’ll need to adjust the casserole’s baking time in the oven.
- Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use, your brand of pasta, and your individual oven. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The noodles should be al dente and the sauce should be thicker.
- Be careful not to overbake the casserole or the pasta will become mushy.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, thyme, or sliced green onion for a bright, colorful finishing touch.
More Recipes with Hot Dogs
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Hot Dog Casserole
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
An easy dump-and-bake dinner that bakes in one dish with just 10 minutes of prep!
Ingredients
- 1 (22 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce (about 2 ½ cups)
- 3 cups low sodium or unsalted chicken broth (or sub with water)
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
- 1 (16 ounce) package hot dogs (frankfurters), sliced into rounds
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 cups (8 ounces) grated cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (or more for a spicy casserole)
- Optional: fresh parsley and/or sliced green onion for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray. In the prepared baking dish (or in a separate large bowl), stir together the Alfredo sauce, chicken broth, uncooked pasta, hot dogs, tomatoes, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, and cayenne. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Uncover; stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but with a tender bite). I have had good luck with the 35-minute cook time; however, some folks might need 10 or 15 minutes longer. If the pasta is still too hard after 35 minutes, just cover the dish and return it to the oven until the pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
- Once the pasta is al dente, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes, until the cheese melts and the pasta is tender. Garnish with parsley and sliced green onion, if desired.
Notes
- To feed a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish. You might be able to reduce the total baking time by a few minutes, but otherwise the instructions remain the same.
- Don’t have rotini pasta? You can substitute with other similar short pasta shapes such as penne, rigatoni, or elbows. Just pick a pasta that has a similar cooking time as the rotini (about 7-8 minutes recommended on the package) — otherwise you’ll need to adjust the casserole’s baking time in the oven.
- Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use, your brand of pasta, and your individual oven. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The noodles should be al dente and the sauce should be thicker.
- Be careful not to overbake the casserole or the pasta will become mushy.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, thyme, or sliced green onion for a bright, colorful finishing touch.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8 of the recipeCalories: 639kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 25gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 1199mgPotassium: 467mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 470IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 249mgIron: 3mg
We loved this!! Our picky 3 year old gobbled it up!! Thank you!
We’re so happy to hear this! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review, Jane.