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Cold weather means hotdish
By: Kristy Jacobson
Posted: Wednesday, February 3, 2010 1:11 am
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It is the time of year where we turn to our comfort foods. Hearty soups, stews, and chili are staples to warm the belly in wintertime.

In my opinion, however, the bitterly cold weather pairs best with a hot dish — or hotdish — that we Minnesotans have termed so dearly.

It’s funny; hotdish is something that most everyone has heard of around here, and yet, is still hard to clearly define. To the rest of the world, it’s called ‘casserole’. What constitutes it as “hotdish?” In other words, what exact ingredients are needed for hotdish? Must it have noodles? Rice? Or ‘cream of something’ soup?

Perhaps a cookbook might have the answer. I’ll bet there is not a church cookbook printed in the Midwest that doesn’t have some type of hotdish recipe in it.

After all, a potluck or church picnic wouldn’t be complete without a hotdish or two.

So, I turned to a cookbook that I received as a bridal shower gift. It is called “100 Years of Home Cooking” from Holy Trinity Church in Goodhue. There are some good recipes in this book, and they are categorized quite nicely.





As I thumbed through the pages, I discovered seven different recipes and variations of “Chicken Hot Dish.” Some require eggs, bread stuffing or chicken broth. Others call for onions, Tabasco and soy sauce. All recipes required to be baked in the oven — usually at 350 degrees for a half hour or so.

I turned a few more pages … and more hotdish recipes ensued. Easy Hot Dish. Ho-Hum Hot Dish. Hollywood Hot Dish. Pizza Hot Dish. Sauerkraut Hot Dish. And so on. It seems anything, really, can be made into a hotdish.

For the heck of it, I Googled the word “Hotdish” on the Internet. Wikipedia.com displayed a lengthy definition and origination of the word. Hotdish “consists of a starch, a meat, a canned and/or frozen vegetable, mixed together with canned soup.”

And it turns out, a hotdish was originated by “budget-minded farm wives (who) needed to feed their own families, as well as congregations in the basements of the first Minnesota churches.”

I guess our Midwestern cuisine is as practical as it is pleasing.

On that same page was a picture of Tator Tot Hotdish.

And then my tummy started to rumble. Oh, the power of suggestion.

So, what’s for supper tonight? You guessed it.



— Kristy Jacobson is the publisher and editor of the Kenyon Leader. She may be reached at 507-789-6161 or at kjacobson@thekenyonleader.com.
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By: chuckvox on 2/3/10
Loved reading your Hotdish article. Great article. I'm already hungry for Tator Tot Hotdish and I just had it a week ago! Thanks.


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