Hotdish! (Casserole from the Upper Midwest)

Hotdish is one of those foods that tells you everything you need to know about a place and its people in a single bite. It comes from a time when you needed to feed a lot of people with not a lot of money in a place where winter lasts forever and calories matter. Born in the Upper Midwest and cemented by church cookbooks and community potlucks hotdish is less about strict recipes and more about function. Protein vegetable starch binder oven done. It’s practical food built for cold weather big families and showing up for each other which is why no one argues about authenticity because the whole point is that it adapts to what you have.

What makes hotdish special is that it lives in that rare space between necessity and nostalgia. Cream of mushroom soup shows up not because it’s fancy but because it was shelf stable reliable and somehow delicious when baked with basically anything. The toppings are there to add texture because texture is joy and winter needs joy. And while the rest of the country might call it a casserole people up here will gently but firmly correct you because hotdish isn’t just a dish it’s an identity. It’s the food equivalent of helping push a stranger’s car out of a snowbank then going home to eat something warm cheesy and deeply comforting without overthinking it.

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Stuff I Use...

My Cookware Set

My Dutch Oven

My Induction Burner

Deli Containers

Large Mason Jars (32oz, wide mouth)

Rust-proof Mason Jar Lids

Portable Single-burner Stove

Butane Torch

Butane Canisters

Coarse Reinforced Strainer

Fine Mesh Reinforced Strainer

Sheet Trays

The BEST Smash Burger Spatula

Cutting Board Scraper

Ice Cream Maker

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Tater Tot Hotdish

This is the one you’ve seen a thousand times and for good reason because it is pure Midwestern efficiency in a baking dish. Beef onions frozen veg cream of mushroom and a golden helmet of tater tots that somehow turns into both a crust and a comfort blanket. It’s salty creamy crispy soft and nostalgic all at once and it’s the hotdish that makes people say oh yeah my mom made that. If hotdish has a Mount Rushmore this one is George Washington with tots on his head.

Yield: 10 servings

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Tater Tot Hotdish

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp salted or unsalted butter
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup / 240 g)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 3 cups mixed frozen vegetables (green beans, corn, peas, and/or carrots)
• 3 1/2 cups cream of mushroom soup
• 6 cups frozen Tater Tots
• Ketchup, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter, then add the ground beef and onion. Season with the salt and pepper and cook, breaking the meat up with a spatula, until no pink remains, about 8 minutes.
3. Using a slotted spoon, spread half of the beef mixture evenly into a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking dish, discarding excess fat.
4. Scatter half of the vegetables over the beef, season lightly with additional salt and pepper, then spread half of the soup evenly over the top.
5. Repeat with the remaining beef, vegetables, seasoning, and soup, spreading the final layer as evenly as possible.
6. Arrange the frozen Tater Tots in a single, tight layer over the surface of the casserole.
7. Bake uncovered until the Tater Tots are deeply golden and the casserole is bubbling around the edges, about 45 minutes.
8. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve hot with ketchup if desired.

Chicken & Wild Rice Hotdish

This is the Minnesota glow up version of hotdish where things get a little heartier and a little more grown up but still very much in their comfort food era. Wild rice brings that nutty chewy thing chicken keeps it familiar and the creamy base ties it all together into something that feels both rustic and luxurious. It’s the kind of dish that makes you feel like you’re at a cabin even if you’re just eating it on your couch in sweatpants while your car is buried in snow outside.

Yield: 10 servings

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Chicken & Wild Rice Hotdish

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
• 2 cups cooked wild rice (from about 3/4 cup dry)
• 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional but very churchy)
• 1 cup crushed butter crackers

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
2. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat, then cook onion and celery with salt until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, mix cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, milk, pepper, and poultry seasoning.
4. Fold in cooked chicken, cooked wild rice, sautéed vegetables, and almonds if using.
5. Spread mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
6. Sprinkle crushed crackers evenly over the top.
7. Bake uncovered for 50–60 minutes until bubbling around the edges and lightly golden on top.
8. Let rest 10 minutes before serving so it sets up properly.

Tuna Noodle Hotdish

This one is church basement royalty and unapologetically so. Canned tuna egg noodles creamy soup and a crunchy topping that exists purely to make noise when you dig in. It’s equal parts pantry raid and comfort food time machine and it tastes like snow days sick days and casseroles dropped off by well meaning neighbors. It shouldn’t work on paper but it absolutely works on a cold night when you want something cozy salty and strangely addictive.

Yield: 10 servings

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Tuna Noodle Hotdish

Ingredients

• 12 oz egg noodles
• 2 (5 oz) cans tuna in water, drained very well
• 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
2. Cook egg noodles in well-salted water until just shy of al dente, then drain.
3. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat, add onion and salt, and cook until soft and translucent, 6–8 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, mix cream of mushroom soup, milk, black pepper, and garlic powder until smooth.
5. Fold in cooked noodles, tuna, peas, sautéed onion, and shredded cheddar until evenly combined.
6. Spread mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
7. Toss crushed cornflakes with melted butter and sprinkle evenly over the top.
8. Bake uncovered 45–55 minutes until bubbling at the edges and golden brown on top.
9. Rest 10 minutes before serving so it sets but stays scoopable.

Adam’s “Pot-Roast” Hotdish

This is me taking everything I learned from the classics and cranking every dial to eleven. Braised beef homemade cream of mushroom crunchy layers under the tots and a topping situation that is doing the absolute most in the best possible way. It’s part hotdish part cottage pie part beef stroganoff fever dream and it exists to answer one very important question which is how far can you push comfort food before it becomes a personality trait. This is hotdish for people who shovel their driveway twice and reward themselves with a second helping.

Yield: 10 servings

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Adam's "Pot Roast" Hotdish

Ingredients

Pot Roast

• 5 pounds chuck roast, cut into large chunks
• Kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper
• Neutral oil, as needed
• 1 large yellow onion, large dice
• 3 celery stalks, large dice
• 2 large carrots, large dice
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme

Cream of Mushroom

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, cleaned and torn into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp chicken powder
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Egg Noodles

• 1 pound wide egg noodles
• Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp butter

Topping Layer 1 of 2

• 1 1/2 cups French’s fried onions
• Ritz Crackers
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan

Topping Layer 2 of 2

• 20-something frozen smiley potatoes
• Kosher salt

Instructions

Pot Roast

1. Heat oven to 275F. Season beef aggressively with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a heavy pot or Dutch oven over high heat with neutral oil. Sear beef hard on all sides until deeply browned. Remove beef.
3. Deglaze with red wine, scraping up all fond. Reduce by about half.
4. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, bay, and thyme. Return beef to pot and add stock to come about 3/4 of the way up the meat.
5. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and braise in the oven for 3–4 hours until pull-apart tender.
6. Remove beef, shred into chunks, and strain braising liquid. Reduce liquid on the stovetop until rich and glossy (about 1–1 1/2 cups).
7. Fold reduced liquid back into the beef. Set aside.

Cream of Mushroom

1. Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add mushrooms, garlic, a generous pinch of salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid and it fully cooks off, then continue cooking until the mushrooms begin to brown and concentrate.
3. Sprinkle in the flour and chicken powder. Stir constantly and cook for about 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
4. Slowly add chicken stock while stirring to prevent lumps, then add the heavy cream.
5. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 10–12 minutes until thick, glossy, and spoonable, not tight.
6. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning. The soup should coat the back of a spoon but still flow easily when layered into the hotdish.

Egg Noodles

1. Cook noodles in well-salted water until just shy of al dente.
2. Drain and toss with butter to prevent sticking.

Topping Layer 1 of 2

1. Mix fried onions, crackers, melted butter, and Parmesan until evenly coated. Set aside.

Assembly & Bake

1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. In a buttered 9×13 pan, layer: Egg noodles, Pot roast mixture, Cream of mushroom soup (fold gently, don’t drown it), Sprinkle evenly with Crunch Layer (Layer 1), arrange smiley potatoes on top intentionally, not dumped.
3. Bake uncovered 40–45 minutes until bubbling and golden. Rotate once. Broil or increase the oven temp to 450 and bake until deeply golden brown on top.
4. Rest 15 minutes before serving so it scoops clean and doesn’t set into a brick.

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