Transform Hot Dogs Into Octopuses With This Adorable DIY Hack

Despite what shows like "The Bear," which just dropped its official season four trailer, might have you thinking, cooking doesn't always have to be a serious thing. A little levity can go a long way — whether you're entertaining guests, putting together a lunchbox for your kids, or just keeping things interesting for yourself at home. So the next time you're looking at a pack of hot dogs and thinking "blah," why not shake things up by giving them an adorable octopus look?

To create this whimsically zoomorphic culinary feat, slice the hot dog in half, and then take each half and cut it lengthwise down the middle, then again widthwise, stopping about half an inch before the tip. You'll form an x-shaped cut, thereby creating four "legs" — or, if you're going for full-on realism, cut those four in half to make eight legs. Then fry the hot dogs in a pan with hot oil; the legs will curl on their own as they cook, creating the facsimile of octopus tentacles. To really sell the illusion, you can then use a toothpick to carve a smiley face on the "head" of the octopus.

We usually reserve the fun shapes and food reimaginings for desserts, like Easter bunny-shaped cupcakes or how you can make marshmallows into mushrooms, but where is it written that you can't play with your savory food too? Whether as a garnish or a standalone snack, this little personalized touch can make all the difference in your food prep efforts.

You can eat your hot dog octopuses by themselves with whatever condiments you want, or you can take tips from a couple of different international cuisines to beef up the meal. In Mexico, they call this wonderful creation salchipulpo, a portmanteau of the Spanish words for sausage (salchicha) and octopus (pulpo), and it's a classic snack and street food. Salchipulpo is usually served on a bed of french fries, and then topped with mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup. If you like a kick, feel free to add hot sauce, a spicy salsa, or both. Slightly creamy, crunchy, spicy, and oh so deliciously salty, this is the perfect dish for after-school snacks for the kids or gameday potlucks with the buddies.

In Japan, the same concept is referred to as tako sausage, tako being the Japanese word for octopus. It's a popular addition to bento boxes for kids. Once the hot dogs or sausages are fried up, you can add them to a bento box filled with rice or some pickled radish onigiri, plus vegetables, cherry tomatoes, and grapes, for a well-rounded meal your child will be excited to eat and equally excited to show off to their friends.