Hot Dog Man

Growing up my mom would make these whimsical hot dog men on occasion. They were fun to make and made a nice after school snack. 

To make a Hot Dog Man, you cut slits for arms and one for the legs in a hot dog and then boil the hot dog in water. I am lazy and often just put the hot dog in a bowl of water in the microwave rather than boil water on the stove. The key is the hot dog must be in water. It doesn’t work if you just microwave the hot dog.  I have done this with several brands of hot dogs over the years and most work well.  Gourmet hot dogs that are more like a link sausage do not turn out as cute.

To make the face, you just dab tiny dots of mustard. I have done ketchup for kids that do not prefer mustard and it works, but is harder to get distinct facial features. 

Here are the steps to make the cuts for the hot dog man.

Step 1

Make a slit about 1 inch from the end of the hot dog, 2/3 of the thickness and angled out to make an arm.

Step 2 

Repeat on the opposite side.

Step 3

Make a slit down the middle about 2/3 from the opposite end of the previous slits to make the leg.

Step 4

Boil the cut hot dog in water for 2-3 minutes. 

Hot Dog Man

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Hot Dog Men only take a few minutes to make. They are a fun way to serve hot dogs for lunch or an after school snack.

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Ingredients

• Hot Dogs
• Mustard

Instructions

1. Follow the photos to make three slits in the hot dog. The first is about 1 inch from the end and 2/3 deep slanting to the right. The second slants to the left. The final is a cut down the middle to make the legs.
2. Boil the hot dog in water for 2-3 minutes. The sliced pieces will curl to make arms and legs.
3. Remove from water to a plate.
4. Using a squeeze bottle or baggie with a tiny hole, make eyes nose and mouth with mustard.
5. Serve immediately.

Notes

This is a fun after school snack or lunch. You can boil the sliced hot dog on the stove or cook it in a bowl of water in the microwave. The key is to make sure you cook it in water for the best shape.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 158Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 464mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 6g

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and may not be completely accurate.

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Marie Fiebach is a married mother of four active kids. She helps busy families plan and execute weeknight dinner so they can recapture a little calm in the crazy. You can see her every week on KAKE TV’s Good Morning Kakeland or listen to the Feed Your Family Tonight Podcast.