I’m not from upper Minnesota. And that, the contributor of today’s recipe says, is probably why I’d never heard of the legendary Hotdish casserole. It’s not so much a specific recipe, but a ‘template’ on which to build your own signature version…
Yes… It looks like another boring old Tater Tot casserole. But there’s much more to Hotdish than initially meets the eye… Even though the Tots are a central feature of the contemporary version of the dish, they’re literally ‘just the topping’…
So… What IS it?
Chowhound recipe wrangler Hilary Wheelan Remley describes the Hot Dish concept as… “a meal that consists of veggies, a starch, a protein, a canned soup base, and a crispy topping such as tater tots or bread crumbs all cooked together in one big, well, hot dish.”
Remly says the dish got its start around 1910 as the ‘Hot Pot’, a toss-together stew of sorts that con-tained all the essential food groups – veggies, starch and protein. But the goal was to stretch a single pound / 454 g of meat to feed a whole family of 4 or more.
Hotdish remained popular through 4 decades and many evolutionary steps until, in the 1950s, Tater Tots became the signature topping.
NOT just a casserole
Remly stresses that Hot Dish is not just a casserole. The resemblances, she says, are merely super-ficial. “Hotdish technically a casserole, [but] not every casserole is a Hotdish.”
“There is no guidance as to what makes a casserole a, well, casserole,” she explains. “Anything can be a casserole so long as it combines several ingredients in a casserole dish. However, a Hotdish gener-ally follows a similar format and features the same general ingredients.”
In Short, a casserole often plays a supporting role in the overall meal. But Hotdish is always a main!
To get you started…
I’ve sourced an authentic Hotdish recipe – i.e.- one cook’s idea of what it should be! – which is ac-companied by a wealth of tips and hacks…
AllRecipes contributor Marley Flueger also gets into the eternal debate about what SHOULD go into Hotdish.
Like Remly, she stresses… “A true Hotdish follows a specific blueprint:
- A protein: usually ground beef
- A creamy binder: likely from a Campbell’s can
- A starch: in this case, crispy Tater Tots
- Often, canned or frozen vegetables
- And optional, but beloved by many: gooey, melted cheese…
My take
You can make Hotdish in any number of different pots and pans… Choose from casserole dish, Dutch oven, cast iron fry pan, or whatever. But whatever you choose, make sure to grease it generously before starting to put in the ingredients. Otherwise, your Hotdish will stick to the bottom, for sure
This Mid-America classic goes together in just 10 minutes or less, and goes in the oven for about 45 minutes – until the tots are cooked through and golden brown. Even in an opaque baking dish, you’ll know exactly when it’s done! Add the cheese at the beginning, or a few minutes before the Hotdish is done; just long enough to melt it gloriously all over the top…
For as detailed history of the Hotdish, you can view the documentary short Minnesota Hotdish: A Love Story. As the title suggests, Hotdish is much more to Minnesotans than simply a ‘regional favourite’…
~ Maggie J.