December 13 2018

Recipe: Macaroni & Hotdog Casserole

In our family, this recipe is called trash. Yes, that’s right trash. Not because it is bad, but because it isn’t. You see, my mother-in-law used to run a daycare from her home, which just happens to be the hose we currently live in. She was old school. She cooked from scratch and did so on occasion even for the daycare kids. One day the kids asked Mrs. Beidelman what they were having for lunch. Feeling ornery or overwhelmed or just playful perhaps, she told them she was serving trash for lunch. After they saw it and tasted it, they asked if they could have trash again the next day. This is how the meal became known as trash in our family. The rest of the world might choose to call it Mac and Cheese or some other traditional type name, but not our family. We eat trash, and by golly, we love it!

Macaroni & Hotdog Casserole (TRASH)
3 cups elbow macaroni
½ lb. Kraft NY State extra sharp cheddar cheese
½ lb. thinly sliced hotdogs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp. Butter (1/2 stick)
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk (I use skim milk, but whole or 2% would work too)
¼ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. Salt (I never use salt when cooking)

Topping:
½ cup bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. margarine

Cook macaroni as directed on package. Melt butter, add flour, slowly add milk, and cook until thickened. Add Parmesan and cheddar cheeses (slice the cheddar) and cook until melted. Pour over noodles and hotdogs in a large casserole dish. Add topping. Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes until bubbly.
(A Jackie Beidelman Original Recipe)

My family always doubles this recipe and we make it in a 9 x 13 metal cake pan.

I also cheat on the topping and often just sprinkle liberally with bread crumbs, seasoned works fine if you have them, plain if not. You can make it p ahead of time and put it in the refrigerator overnight if you want, but if it is cold you will need longer to cook it.

It works great as leftovers, I usually sprinkle some milk on top to make sure it doesn’t dry out while reheating.