This Classic Cookout Side Belongs On Your Hot Dog

It doesn't take much convincing for us to eat a hot dog, but next-level condiments and fixings certainly sweeten the deal. Cookout go-to's like relish, ketchup, and chili are all fair game in our book. In terms of things you should be putting on your hot dog but aren't, though, macaroni and cheese is our reigning suggestion.

Before you turn up your nose, hear us out. Hot dogs and cheese are a natural pairing. The cheese's salty, savory, and sometimes acidic notes (depending on what type you use) complement the smoky sweetness of the dogs while also curbing their richness. The meat's fat will also boost the cheese's natural flavor. The pasta, meanwhile, mimics the usual hot dog bun and offers a neutral flavor, so it'll taste like whatever you put in the sauce.

This pantry-staple union can be as gourmet or low-budget as you like, although the combination is colloquially considered a familiar "struggle meal." It's not uncommon to find weenies cut up and stirred into the pasta dish, acting as the main protein. There are baked versions, too, like bite-size mac and cheese cups studded with bits of hot dog. You can even find hot dogs breaded and fried in mac and cheese. But if you ask us, simply piling the pasta on the frank is easiest. Even better, you can endlessly tweak and season both components to your liking.

Both hot dogs and macaroni and cheese are cookout staples and iconic parts of U.S. food history. Frankfurters came to America from several nationalities of immigrants who brought European sausage stateside. By the late 1800s, hot dogs were commonplace at baseball parks and Coney Island alike. As for mac, it was arguably popularized by James Hemings, an enslaved chef who worked for Thomas Jefferson. Hemings' French training led him to bake "macaroni pie" for Jefferson regularly. By the 1880s, Italian immigration and the consequent accessibility of pasta led the way for mac and cheese's mass production. In 1937, Kraft introduced its boxed version, and the rest is history.

To try this dish at home, first stock up on franks. In our ranking of the best store-bought hot dog brands, contributor Jenny Kellerhals Keogh named Trader Joe's Uncured Beef Hot Dogs the top choice for their meaty, flawlessly seasoned flavor. Whole Foods, Nathan's, and Boar's Head options were close behind. For the topping, we recommend a high-quality boxed mac and cheese, like Annie's, Amy's, Beecher's, or Tillamook.

Ambitious home cooks may want to make the mac themselves. Consider our favorite creamy macaroni and cheese recipe, which calls on white cheddar, Gruyere, and Parmesan. For fewer dirty dishes, this one-pot mac and cheese recipe fits the bill (it's even made with cream cheese for extra tang). To feed a crowd, turn to this baked mac and cheese recipe with a spice-kissed kick.