A hotdish is a meal that is very near and dear to the hearts of many a Midwesterner. It’s especially well known in Minnesota and North Dakota. Some would call it the unofficial state “cuisine” of Minnesota; I would call that a pretty strong word to use.

It consists of anything you can find in the refrigerator, as long as a few simple criteria are met. It must look gross, it must be cooked in one dish, and it must contain some sort of creamy sauce (usually something like cream of mushroom soup) that binds together a starch, a protein, and a vegetable.

The hotdish can also be topped with various items known as hotdish toppings. These include such things as potato chips, fried onions, onion straws, and tater tots. Indeed, the invention of the commercial tater tot sometime in the mid 50’s, would forever change the history of the hotdish.

So what’s the difference between a hotdish and a casserole? A casserole is a type of cooking dish. It is a large deep dish used for cooking and also as a serving vessel. See the difference?

All hotdishes are casseroles, but not all casseroles are hotdishes. Hotdishes are traditionally served as main dishes and are extremely popular at family reunions and church potlucks. It’s not the deliciousness factor (far from it in fact) that makes these creations so popular, it’s the nostalgia that comes with them. In other words, people eat hotdishes for memories, not because they taste good. That’s my understanding at least.

It’s speculated that the great depression could be what fueled the rise of this all inclusive, one dish meal. People needed a way to effectively feed their whole families for cheap, and the hotdish proved to be a simple answer to the problem.

Even earlier than that however, during World War 1, people were urged to stretch their food supplies and be frugal with what they had, so the excess food could be shipped overseas to feed the soldiers. This time period might truly be the era of the hotdish prototype.

The basic formula is as follows. Get a baking dish and throw in some sort of meat, some creamed soup, and a can of unspecified vegetables. Mix everything together and put it in the oven at 400° F. It’s very important that you don’t waver from this formula. It needs to be 400° F or it won’t be hot enough to create a proper hotdish. Perhaps achieving only warmdish status.

One of the best things about the hotdish (if you’re trying to be optimistic) is coming up with a silly name for your creation. If you have four day old taco meat, no problem – throw it in the baking dish. Eight day old macaroni and cheese? Excellent, toss it in the dish!

Hey, I think I have a can of creamed corn somewhere around here. No worries, you just saved yourself a step by not having to add any creamed soup. It’s already in the corn!

Stir it all up, maybe add a few tater tots on the top for visual effect, and pop it in the oven at 400° F until it turns golden brown on the top. Remove your hotdish from the oven so it can cool, and in the meantime think up some crazy-cool name for your dish. Let’s call it the “It could be worse dontcha know beefy up-north doodah macaroni surprise hotdish”, and then call it a night.