Hot Dog Mac N’ Cheese

The ultimate comfort food, this dish combines two-crowd favorites: Kentucky Legend all-beef hot dogs with creamy mac 'n cheese.

Ingredients

• 4 Kentucky Legend Hot Dogs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 8 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 5 cups whole milk
• 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut hot dogs into bite-sized pieces. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a small saute pan and cook onion on medium heat until browned; about 3-4 minutes. Then add hot dog pieces and cook until they’ve just begun to brown. Set aside.
3. While browning onions and hot dogs, bring 6 quarts of water to a roiling boil and add 1 tbsp salt. Add pasta and stir gently, allowing pasta to boil for about 7-8 minutes, until al dente. Remove from heat; drain well and set aside in a large bowl.
4. Spray a 9×13 deep casserole dish with non-stick spray.
5. To prepare the béchamel sauce, melt butter in a medium stock pot over medium heat and gradually whisk in flour. Keep whisking in flour until roux is browned, about 5-6 minutes. Gently whisk in milk until properly combined. Continue whisking the sauce until it thickens and begins to simmer about 10-12 minutes. Whisk in 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper and nutmeg.
6. Remove sauce from heat and add in shredded cheeses. Mix with a rubber spatula until cheese is completely melted. Combine cheese sauce with onion and hot dog pieces until smooth. Then mix in pasta.
7. If you desire a breadcrumb topping, mix Panko breadcrumbs in a medium bowl with melted butter and dried parsley.
8. Pour mac n’ cheese into the casserole dish and top with breadcrumb mixture if using. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, until top is browned and mac n’ cheese is heated through.