How To Store All Those Extra Hot Dog Buns For Later

Once the neighborhood barbecue is over and you're looking at all the leftovers, you might be wondering what to do with all the bags of hot dog buns that are still sitting on your counter. While you could attempt to use them up by turning them into French toast or bread pudding, there is a much simpler solution: Freeze them. This will help keep them fresh for the next time you plan on using them (for a plain hot dog, perhaps?).

If you're freezing them to use within the next week (say you're planning to grill again the following weekend), they can go into your freezer in the bag in which they were packaged. However, if you're hoping to keep them for longer — up to 6 months— they'll need to be taken out of their bag and wrapped individually in aluminum foil or plastic wrap first. Then you can pop them in a gallon freezer bag or some type of container with an airtight lid.

There are a few methods for thawing hot dog buns that you have pulled out of your freezer; which one you choose depends on how soon you need to use them. For example, if you're not in a hurry and don't need them until the next day, you can put them in the fridge to thaw overnight. If you have a few hours, you can just set them on the countertop — you might be surprised at how quickly they go from frozen to like-new.

If you need them right away, there are a few methods for speedy defrosting, so you don't end up having to eat your hot dogs on sandwich bread. If you forgot to pull them out of the freezer and dinner is upon you, you can stick them in the microwave (take them out of the plastic bag first). Dampen a paper towel and wrap it around them, then nuke them in 5-10-second bursts until they reach your desired softness.

And if you don't mind getting them a little toasty and crisp, you can stick them in your toaster oven, oven, or air fryer. Set the temp to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and start with three minutes. Add additional minutes until you like where the toastiness is at. And voilà — defrosted hot dog buns in just a few minutes.