Last weekend my son had a friend over for lunch and an afternoon playdate. Usually when friends are over we have snack lunch so that everyone has some choice in what they eat, or I’ll go with safe bets like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or quesadillas. But I knew that our little friend would be up for something I’ve been wanting to try for a while.

I sent the kids upstairs to play and told them not to come in the kitchen until I called them down for lunch. You know what that meant? Yes, they were in my kitchen every five minutes wanting to know what I was up to. Once they saw the beginnings of their lunch, they thought I was crazy.

Wouldn’t you if you saw hot dogs and spaghetti on the counter?

When I finally called them down to lunch, the giggles were too much to contain. I wish I would’ve captured the expressions on their faces when they first saw their plates.

Silly Dogs! (Source: Feed Our Families)

We had some fun talk about what to call our creation. There was “hot dog out of the bun”, and “worms in a log” but we all agreed that Silly Dogs was the very best.

So, lunch looked like a lot of fun, but the big question was…would they like it? Oh, and how would they eat it?

We had choices for dipping sauces like ketchup, barbecue sauce and mustard, and I gave them each a fork since I really didn’t know how they’d get this silliness into their mouths. Our friend used the fork to cut and eat the pasta, while my two kids picked up the hot dogs and dipped their pasta to “eat the worms” first.

Right away, our friend asked if I’d give the recipe to her mom, and asked for a repeat this week when she was over for dinner, so I think it was a hit! My kids have seen sausages in our refrigerator and now want us to try that next. Success!

The recipe couldn’t be any easier, and this is a great one to let your kids make. The key is to use a spaghetti noodle, or at least not something as delicate as angel hair pasta. I broke a few pieces trying to get them in the hot dogs but just tossed them in the water so we had a few extra on the side.

Silly Dogs in the Making (Source: Feed Our Families)

Has your family given up hot dogs over concerns about the ingredients? We did too a few years ago until we realized that there are many brands now available made with 100% beef, or turkey, and no nitrites or nitrates.

Silly Dogs

One hot dog per person

15 strands of spaghetti per hot dog

Olive oil

Cut the hot dogs into thirds. Insert uncooked spaghetti strands into each hot dog portion and push until the hot dog is in the middle of the strand.

Cook according to spaghetti instructions (adding olive oil to your water to prevent sticking). Once the spaghetti is cooked, remove gently with a slotted spoon and drain well.

Serve with your choice of dipping sauces. Enjoy!

My Silly Girl with Silly Dogs (Source: Feed Our Families)

If you try Silly Dogs at home, ask your kids what they would call it and let us know!


Disclaimer: I can’t take claim to this idea, but don’t know who to credit. I stumbled on a photo of the final product online and couldn’t track down the source. No credit taken but a huge thanks to the originator – my kids love this!