Beanie Weenies Are The Best Way To Use Up Leftover Hot Dogs

If you're hosting a backyard barbecue, the last thing you want to do is to run out of hot dogs. While it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to serving up this American classic, ensuring you have more than enough hot dogs to go around often means you'll have leftovers once the barbecue has ended — but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Trust us, there are plenty of ways you never thought to use hot dogs, and having leftover hot dogs on hand is the perfect reason to make beanie weenies.

Beanie weenies is a dish that's made from two main ingredients: hot dogs and baked beans. It's the perfect way to use up leftover hot dogs since it's made from pantry staples like baked beans, bacon, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. It keeps well in the fridge and is an easy, hearty meal that's great for both kids and adults. It's the type of dish you can make with what you have, and can alter based on your preferences. Not to mention, it's affordable! So, slice up those leftover dogs, throw them in a pot with baked beans and a few seasonings, and you're good to go. 

Beanie weenies are often considered retro, and although the popularity of the dish has waned (Michael Jordan turned down a one million dollar deal to endorse them), it's one of those important American comfort foods that time forgot. This dish is also called beans and franks, but the name beanie weenies comes from a company called Van Camp that sells the dish (spelled Beanee Weenees) premade in a can.

Whether you buy it at the store or make it using leftover dogs, the history of this dish goes all the way back to World War I. It started as a military ration but quickly became a diner staple. It makes sense that the dish came about during tough times since not only is it cheap to make, but it's also packed with protein. Plus, the dish is edible cold, so it was easy to eat even without access to a stove.

Although you could just slice a few dogs into premade baked beans and call it a day, there are plenty of ways to improve the dish. Classic beanie weenie recipes call for just pork and beans, sliced hot dogs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and other spices, so it's not difficult to add a few special touches. Just like there are plenty of ways to elevate store-bought baked beans, there are plenty of ways to elevate beanie weenies.

An easy way to give this dish a boost is by adding some heat with your favorite hot sauce. Cheese makes everything better, and serving beanie weenies with some good quality grated, sharp cheddar is a game changer. If you're making beanie weenies just because you want to (and not because you have leftover hot dogs), try it with smoked Andouille sausage instead for a more elevated dish. Most recipes call for store-bought baked beans, but making your own allows you to customize the dish even more.