Tater Tot hotdish, and hotdishes in general, are exceptionally common in my home state of Minnesota. You would be hard pressed to find someone who grew up in the state ( or the Upper Midwest in general ) that does n’t have strong memories of their family’s or church’s or neighbor’s hotdish. For me, the narrative is unique. My calorie-conscious mother had a significant impact on our dinners despite having two of my grandparents who were both born and raised in the state. Suffice it to say, curries were often on the menu—they were reserved for breaks, if at all. My first style of Tater Tot hotdish is quite vividly remembered. I was in college, staring at my housemates as they poured large amounts of the boiling dish onto their sheets before dripping with dreadful amounts of sauce and digging in, sitting at the table in the shared living space of my first on-campus house. What Is Hotdish? A hotdish, also known as a hot meal, is a dish that was created in the Upper Midwest as a straightforward, affordable way to provide food for a large crowd at gatherings like dinners and community reunions. Made up of four parts —a flour, meats, canned or frozen vegetables, and canned, compressed soup—they were particularly popular during the Great Depression as a one-dish question that was filling and crowd-pleasing. Tater Tot hotdish is one of the most well-known forms of hotdish, particularly in Minnesota. Although the ingredients used in traditional Tater Tot hotdishes does change, they still use frozen Tater Tots, cream of mushroom soup, and ground beef. Since my first style of Tater Tot hotdish, I’ve learned a lot of things, starting with the fact that Minnesota take their hotdish quite seriously. Next, that Tater Tot hotdish is nothing if not a great prospect for variation. You can make it suit your tastes in a lot of different ways: Major the whole thing with shredded cheddar before bakingSwap frozen Tater Tots for another frozen corn product, like french fries, potato smileys, or hashbrownsSwitch up the meat and apply surface chicken, pork, lamb, venison, turkey, or a mix. Use plant-based ground pork if you’re vegetarian. Replace cream of mushroom soup with cream of chicken, carrots, or even vegetable soup ( as per the second written recipe in a 1930 church cookbook from Mankato, Minnesota ) Include some of your favorite spices to the ground beef, including chilli flakes to dried oregano, garlic powder to ground cumin. Prepare the hotdish by layering the freezing tater tots over the top to avoid going forward. Allow to cool completely to room temperature before wrapping tightly with plastic cover and holding in the refrigerator or freezer for up to three months. To make from the kitchen, follow the instructions beneath, adding 5 to 10 days to the make time to make sure everything is heated through. To make from the refrigerator, let lay on the desk while the stove preheats, remove the plastic wrap, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F for about an hour. Uncover, increase the oven to 400°F, and bake for another 25 minutes, or until the tater tots are golden brown and the casserole is completely heated through. Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu More Midwestern Casseroles

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