If you’re not from Minnesota, Dakota or elsewhere in the Upper Midwest, you might not have heard of a “hotdish”, in which case you’re going to be wondering what it is. A hotdish is basically a one-dish meal made with a protein (such as beef), a starch (such as tater tots) and vegetables.
Yes, it sounds like a casserole, but hotdish is a type of casserole rather than the exact same thing.
Church suppers and family reunions are often when hotdish makes an appearance, although it’s great for any occasion, and even if there isn’t an occasion in particular but you still want to enjoy something hot and comforting for dinner.
Hotdish was historically one of the only ways to feed a hungry family during the Depression Era and then, with the advent of World War I, the dish remained a beloved staple, able to stretch just a pound of meat enough to feed the whole family.
Why You’ll Love the Recipe:
This delicious dish is so easy to make. It’s a layered casserole with beef, tater tots and vegetables, along with a tasty mushroom soup based sauce. This makes a tasty dinner for the whole family.
How to Serve It:
Enjoy this hotdish fresh from the oven. It’s a meal-in-one so you don’t need to make side dishes.
Ingredients:
- Tater tots
- Shredded cheddar
- Onion
- Lean ground beef
- Minced garlic cloves
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Green beans
- Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
How to make Tater Tot Hotdish:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch baking dish.
Brown the beef with the onion and garlic in a skillet and drain off the excess grease.
Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and add salt and black pepper to taste.
Spoon this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Pour the soup on top and then the drained beans on top of the soup.
Add some salt and black pepper and then add the cheese on top.
Finally add the tater tots as the top layer.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the tater tots are crispy and the cheese is melted.
If you have never had “hotdish” before, you are missing out! It’s a delicious casserole made with tater tots, ground beef, mushrooms soup, green beans, and more. This comfort food style dish is always satisfying and full of flavor.
Tater Tot Hotdish
Ingredients
- Small bag of tater tots
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
- 1 finely diced small onion
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 15 ounces canned green beans drained
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch baking dish.
- Brown the beef with the onion and garlic in a skillet and drain off the excess grease.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Spoon this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Pour the soup on top and then the drained beans on top of the soup.
- Add some salt and black pepper and then add the cheese on top.
- Finally add the tater tots as the top layer.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the tater tots are crispy and the cheese is melted.
Can You Make It Ahead?
Yes, you can make it in advance and then bake it later.
Storage Instructions:
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.
Variations and Substitutions:
Ground beef is the traditional ingredient in tater tot hotdish, although you can use a different meat if you want. Feel free to sub the traditional green beans for corn, carrots or anything else you want. You can also combine the ingredients rather than layering them, but again that wouldn’t be traditional, so it’s your choice!
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