Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Quick Lazy Minnesota Hotdish Recipes

I've found that the Aldi Fit and active cream of soups are 1/2 the sodium of regular cream of soups and at $ .49, budget friendly. Using with unsalted pasta and reduced to no sodium proteins, and bulking up the meal with vegetables, I can help keep the overall meal to around 30% of the RDA for sodium for DH, and literally pull dinner together in 15 minutes, less if I already have cooked and leftover noodles or rice get things done while it bakes, and still be eating by 7:00. If he watches his other meals, he is following his docs orders pretty well, and I don't have to drastically change our menu. It's cold. It's Minnesota, and I like hotdishes-so does DH. They warm up well for leftovers with a splash of milk or even a couple teaspoons of water. This might be repeats of other recipes, but here are a couple go to's my family likes. These all make four good size portions.

Tuna Hotdish

8 ounces of  pasta of choice (we like rotini or elbow)
1 can tuna
2-4 ounces shredded cheddar (1/2 to a cup)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 can reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup
2/3 rds of the can milk
Vegetables-or make separately, your preferences (peas or carrots work well within the dish)
Bread crumbs (for topping)

Literally just mix all ingredients together, then combine with the pasta, it should be sloppy. Top with a light dusting of bread crumbs and bake for 45 minutes at 350.

Chicken or  Turkey Tetrazini

6-8 ounces of cooked spaghetti noodles
1-2 cups diced or shredded chicken or turkey
1 Can reduced sodium cream of chicken
2 tsp garlic powder or garlic clove
2 tsps Italian seasoning
2 tsp ground pepper
2 tsps. dried onions
1 can of milk
sauteed or a small can of mushrooms
1 cup shredded mozzarella

I mix the spices and herbs in with the soup and milk, then mix with the meat and noodles and 1/2 the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350, then top with the remaining cheese, and bake another 15 minutes. I would like to use more cheese in both the above recipes, but as it is filled with salt, I use enough for flavor rather than as a main ingredient. 

Stroganoff Hotdish

6-8 ounces cooked egg noodles
1/2 Pound of hamburger
1 can reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup
2/3 can milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsps. garlic powder
2 tsps. pepper
sautéed fresh or small can mushrooms
Mix wet ingredients with spices and mushrooms, mix all with hamburger and noodles, bake covered 45 minutes at 350

Broccoli-Rice (and a meat) Hotdish

2 Cups cooked rice
1-1 1/2 cups of meat of choice, though if you add more cheese can skip meat entirely)
1 can reduced sodium cream of  chicken soup
1 can milk
2 tsps. garlic powder
2 tsps. dried onion
2 tsps. pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar (add another 1/2 cup if skipping meat)
8 ounces of chopped or small florets broccoli

Mix, soup, milk, spices then combine with rice, protein, and 1/2 cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, top with remaining cheese and bake another 15 minutes. This is one of my favorite!

Basically, I'm mixing a starch, a protein, and other items for variety, and baking. The possibilities are endless, but I wanted to share some of our regulars. If you make a hotdish, or dare I say it, casserole, what are your favorite combinations? Do you use your own white sauce as a binder, or like me, use the cream soups on the grocery shelves?

13 comments:

  1. Thanks for the recipes. I am definitely going to try them. I cannot get canned soup over here but I can make my own from scratch. The variety of the canned soups on your end of the world is incredible. Here we can get dry soup mixes but they are loaded with sodium. I prefer making my own.

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    1. I could make a basic white sauce and keep the sodium really low, but thought I would share the basic concept. Extra creamy sauce is the key to all, with lots of seasoning.

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    2. TPol, France isn't any better for canned soups - just packet soups for the most part here too!

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  2. I detest Tuna hotdish and Hubs won't eat it either. I think we had it too much as kids.

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    1. It was not a winter when I grew up either, but with the extra creamy sauce, added cheese and mayo, this is so much different than the dry stuff my mom made when the cupboards were lean. My youngest loves it-particularly with the bread crumbs.

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  3. Thanks for these recipes. Will definitely try the tuna hotdish - have been looking for a decent recipe as it's not one I grew up with either.

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    1. The trick is to make sure it is extra cream and filled with seasoning. Otherwise it is the bland and dry version I had as a kid-no a favorite.

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  4. Thanks for sharing these. We rarely had hotdishes when I was growing up, my mother didn't make them. I do like them, great to cook ahead and I freeze in single servings (it's just me at home). Easy, quick dinner then. I'm always on the lookout for recipes, and these look yummy.

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    1. We had some standbys like tuna hotdish, but not the good kind, a sort of white macaroni mix when the cupboards were low, ghoulash, but not as often as I made them for my family. DH grew up on them more.

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  5. Oops, forgot to sign that anonymous, this is Celie in Wisconsin.

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    1. Thanks for adding! Its only the mean anonymous posts I question (though usually will still post) as I know not everyone has the option to have a user name with their comments.

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  6. My children loved zucchini casserole. Others? Not so much. Mine were the only kids in town who love zucchini. How large is the can of tuna you use?

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    1. My kids loved zucchini as well-that sounds yummy. I just use the small can because I add cheese so there is plenty of protein. Normally I guess people would use two.

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