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Feature Thu Nov 20 2008
Hotdish? You Betcha
I called my mom in Minnesota earlier this week to say hello, and I could tell she was preoccupied - the banging dishes and "mmm-hmms" and "uh-huhs" gave her away immediately. I asked her what was going on, and she told me she was making rice hotdish for dinner that night - one of my most loved and hated meals.
I moved to Chicago a little more than a year ago and have discovered the term "hotdish" (sometimes known as casserole to the rest of the world) seems to escape non-Minnesotans. Who knew that some 400 miles away, something that is a part of normal everyday life for everyone who lives in Minnesota would be so foreign?
This is my attempt to bring the hotdish to Chicago, or at least to explain what the elusive (and stereotypically unappetizing) dish is and where it came from.
Hotdish is any of a variety of baked dishes popular in the Midwestern United States, and especially in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, northern Iowa, and western Wisconsin. It consists of a starch, a meat and a canned vegetable, mixed together with canned soup, which serves as a binding ingredient.
Hotdish was created when budget-minded farm wives needed to feed their families, as well as congregations in the basements of the first Minnesota churches. They needed to stretch the fare and go easy on expensive meat, while at the same time impress their friends and neighbors with a filling and tasty meal. On cold winter nights and days of below zero temperatures, bone-chilling winds and feet of snow, hotdish hits the spot.
In Minnesota, hotdish is popular for family get-togethers, church suppers and potlucks. This isn't because they are necessarily tasty, but because they're filling, convenient and easy to make. (Not to muddy the waters, but hotdish is often served with bars - pan-baked cookies or brownies.)
You don't need to have a specific recipe to make hotdish. A lot of the time my mom would use whatever leftovers we had - hamburger, tomato sauce, rice, veggies - and throw it in the oven. Before you empty the contents of your fridge into a baking dish, here are a few recipes to try out.
Rice Hotdish
1 can chicken with rice soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup minute rice
1 stalk celery - cut up
1/2 chopped onion
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup water
Brown ground beef with celery and onion until completely cooked and vegetables are tender. Drain grease and add soups, water and rice. Put into 9x13 baking dish and bake covered at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
Chicken Wild Rice Hotdish
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 jar chicken gravy
3/4 cup water
1 cup uncooked wild rice
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey
Cook 1 cup of wild rice according to directions on package. Mix soup and gravy with water, add chicken and cooked rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Back covered for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Tator Tot Hotdish
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 c. rice
2 lbs. hamburger (browned)
1 package frozen mixed vegetables
Mix all ingredients and top with tator tots. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.
grace / November 21, 2008 12:38 PM
Ah the memories...I grew up in SW Minnesota. The variety of hotdish concoctions is endless. One other note - if being served at a church supper or potluck, there's usually a "salad" in addition to the bars. In MN, "salad" usually involves jello...mmmmmm TASTY!