Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a hotdish and a casserole? ›

Purpose: A casserole can serve any function, for example, a main dish, side dish, breakfast, or even dessert. A hot dish is a main meal only, as it (purportedly) contains all the nutrients one needs in a hearty meal. Well, there you have it folks.

All hotdishes are casseroles, but not all casseroles are hotdishes. But the main difference between hotdish and other casseroles is where you make it. What someone in Minnesota or North Dakota would call hotdish, a person in Indiana would simply know as tater tot casserole.

Wild rice became was adopted as the state grain in 1977.

It was adopted as the official state grain in 1977. It is an aquatic grass not related to common rice. Early in the summer, the plants bloom with tiny maroon and gold flowers, and by late summer, their seeds mature into dark brown kernels.

The documentary Minnesota Hotdish: A Love Story speculates the Great Depression secured hotdish as a food staple and effective, affordable way of feeding entire families, with canned food and limited meat. The word "hotdish" was first used in a 1930 Minnesotan cookbook published by the Grace Lutheran Ladies Aid.

A hotdish or hot dish is a casserole dish that typically contains a starch, a meat, and a canned or frozen vegetable mixed with canned soup.

Hotdish is common terminology in western Wisconsin and Minnesota, while casserole is the preferred name everywhere else in the country.

Macaroni and cheese is the oldest written casserole recipe found in 1250.

Tater Tot Hotdish is a quick and easy comfort food staple recipe all over the Midwest! This hotdish is full of meat, veggies, soup, cheese, and topped with tater tots for a super satisfying meal!

What is known, though, is that the term "hotdish" first appeared in a 1930 Mankato cookbook, published by Grace Lutheran Ladies Aid. "What's clearer is that the dish has become a symbol of Minnesotan identity," Deustch said. "That is exactly why there are so many debates over what a hotdish can be."

Wild rice, or manoomin (good seed) in Ojibwe, is sacred to Indigenous peoples in the Great Lakes region, because it's part of their creation story — and because for centuries it staved off starvation during harsh winters.

Is Minnesota wild rice Healthy? ›

Wild rice is a wonderfully balanced food source, providing a healthy mix of protein and fiber. What's more, it's also relatively low in calories. One micronutrient abundant in wild rice is Manganese. Manganese is an antioxidant, and plays a role in keeping the mitochondria in your cells healthy.

Consider pre-soaking: Pre-soaking wild rice for a few hours or overnight can help reduce the cooking time and promote a more even texture.

Tater tot hotdish is an old-school, family-friendly Minnesota classic weeknight dinner. You might call it a casserole, but we Minnesotans call it a hotdish.

In Fargo, ND, a hot dish is basically a warm-ya-up, comforting casserole that's bursting with goodness. We think we hit the nail on the head with our recipe for Fargo Hot Dish. It's a layered casserole that features hearty noodles, ground beef tossed with tomato sauce, a savory cheese filling, and more.

To make hot dish, you'll need three key ingredients: meat, canned soup and a starch. Some Minnesotans will insist it's only a hot dish if it's topped with frozen Tater Tots, but others allow rice or noodles to fill in. The exact combo is up to you.

According to Eater, the elements that are absolutely necessary to include in hotdish are a starch, protein, and vegetable bound together by a creamy sauce, usually cream of mushroom soup. It's all baked in one dish and served piping hot.

Within Minnesota, it's “hot dish” (two words) and is a very common term for a wide variety of casseroles. I've also seen “hot dish” used in North Dakota and Wisconsin.

The term “casserole” can refer to any dish prepared in a casserole dish—essentially a deep, wide baking dish—and baked in the oven. A casserole can have layers, as in the case of an Italian lasagna or a deep-dish pizza, or composed of some evenly distributed combination of veggies, a protein, and a starchy binder.