In Minnesota, It's a Hotdish

When I do menu planning, I usually have 1-3 items referred to as hotdish on my plan. I get comments asking what a hot dish is exactly. In other places, the term casserole might be used. There is no such thing as casserole in Minnesota. Even our immigrant new neighbors catch on to this fairly quickly. Hotdish, and note that it is a single word not two, creativity has no boundaries. Take a starch, a protein, some sort of accompaniment, think mushroom, corn, peas etc., and a binder. Some might put a topping on like cheese or bread crumbs. Often said binder is Cream of Something soup, but many of us Minnesotan's are getting uppity and using things like jarred pasta sauce (Just kidding.) 

Even our public officials get in on the hot dish act. In Washington DC, there is an annual competition between Minnesota's house and senate members to make the best hotdish. This year, Representative Tom Emmer won. Read and hear about it. 

I'll keep making hotdish's, fall, winter, and spring, and in the summer, they;'' go into my trusty cr0ck pot. But I'll never make a casserole. 

A Minnesota favorite. Tator Tot hotdish as served to DD2's British friend, who loved it.