Easy Weeknight Meal: Baked Hot Dogs

This is not a glamorous elaborate meal that photographs beautifully, this is real life. Mommy life.

This is the my baby is getting her bottom teeth and woke up four times last night and my husband has been gone for three days meal. It's easy, quick, tasty, and filling. And generally kid approved, this was a favorite as mine as a child. I'll be honest though, I ate just about anything. I still do. 

Something else that's great about this meal is that you can store the hot dogs and the buns in the freezer. If you know you're going to have a busy day and are low on fresh food, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight! If you don't like onion, skip them. Use a different cheese if you'd like, caramelize the onions or use shallots, add relish or tomatoes. The possibilities are nearly endless! I like to keep it simple for the sake of my sanity. Hope you enjoy!

Baked Hot Dogs
     serves 4

• pack of 8 Hot Dogs, I always buy all beef kosher
• pack of 8 Hot Dog Buns
• Yellow Mustard, to taste
• finely diced White Onion
• shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Ketchup, to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Make a cut down the middle of each hot dog, you can cut all the way through but to make it easy I just cut them about 3/4 of the way. On a baking tray or baking dish place all of the hog dog buns, be sure to open them up. I just squeezed mustard over the buns to make a strip on one side, then place the hot dogs on the buns. Top with the onions and cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes, it took 12 in my oven. Top with ketchup if desired, and serve with a cold salad. I served these up with a side of red potato salad, this is a great recipe to try. I ate this on a paper plate, and used a plastic spoon for the potato salad. Talk about a win.

Per serving: 400 calories, 13 grams fat, 42 grams of carbs, 4 grams of sugar, and 25 grams of protein.