This week, the Buffalo Bills are playing the Minnesota Vikings and we are diving into a classic… the Minnesota Hot Dish.
The origins of the hot dish are hotly (get it?!) debated… but it’s generally agreed that it really jumped into popularity around The Great Depression. It’s got a protein, a vegetable, a starch and a flavorful sauce, so it was viewed as a healthy and whole meal that you could stretch in trying times.
A lot of recipes said that the hot dish may be an acquired taste or it may not be for everyone, but honestly it’s not that far off from a chicken pot pie or any adjacent dish. The recipes I found didn’t call for seasoning, so I’ll let you be the judge of that one. We did all agree, it is definitely a solid meal to fuel a day of tailgating. Go Bills!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 onion (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 10 oz cream of mushroom soup
- 10 oz cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1.5 cup colby jack cheese (shredded)
- 32 oz tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a skillet, cook the ground beef until no longer pink. Place the cooked beef in a large bowl and drain the grease. Set the beef aside. In the same skillet, sautee the onions and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sauteed onions and garlic to the bowl with the ground beef and stir. Stir in the cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, corn and peas. Mix until well combined.
- Evenly spread the mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle one cup of cheese on top of the mixture. Place tater tots on top of the casserole, covering the top entirely.
- Cook the casserole in a 450 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until bubbly and the tater tots are golden brown and crispy on top. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake until the cheese is melted, about five minutes.
