Key insights
- Andrew Zimmern’s Tater Tot Hotdish is a nostalgic classic of Midwestern comfort food.
- With just five ingredients, it’s a quick, hearty meal perfect for busy evenings.
- The crispy tater tot topping adds a delicious crunch to the creamy casserole.
Even though I come from the Midwest, a place known for its casseroles and hot dishes, I didn’t grow up eating them. My mother, on the other hand, did, and perhaps ate them more often than she would have liked. Not because casseroles and hot dishes weren’t great, but because my grandmother’s baking talents didn’t extend to her cooking.
She had a light touch when it came to seasoning and a firm hand when it came to temperature and cooking times. In other words, their food was bland and very dry. So he was asked to try Andrew Zimmern’s five-ingredient casserole:a tater tot hotdish– I hesitated. Was my mother’s experience a foretaste of what was to come? I didn’t know, but I was ready to find out.
What is a hot dish?
The first thing you should know about hot dishes: While a hot dish may Be a casserole, not all casseroles are hot dishes.
The first known hotdish recipe was published in Mankato, Minnesota, in the Grace Lutheran Ladies Aid cookbook. It was made with ground beef, canned peas, pasta and tomato soup. A true Midwestern dish, this 1930s dish was created out of necessity. It was the Great Depression and money was tight. The ingredients were economical and enough to feed a family. This spicy dish hit all the food groups in an inventive way.
About twenty years later, the Ore-Ida company introduced the Tater Tot, which soon became a popular garnish for the spicy dish.
Simply recipes / Sara Haas
How to make Andrew Zimmern’s Hotdish
Start by browning two pounds of ground beef (Andrew uses half turkey, half beef) and a diced onion in a skillet. Season with salt and black pepper, then pour the cooked mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Cover the top with a pound of frozen green beans and two cans of undiluted condensed cream of mushroom soup. Andrew recommends Campbell’s.
Top with a 24-ounce bag of frozen Tater Tots and bake in a 400°F oven until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy, about 40 to 45 minutes. The result is a delicious, comforting casserole that is really easy to make.
My honest review of Andrew Zimmern’s hotdish recipe
It’s very Midwestern in a good way. Andrew’s Hotdish tastes like a cozy home full of family photos and a broken sofa. I don’t have much experience with this type of food, but I enjoyed it.
The minced meat and mushroom soup provided great umami. Once fully cooked, the green beans added an almost fresh touch to the dish. The tater tot topping sealed my appreciation and provided the perfect potato crunch in every bite. All in all I liked it. And I would do it again, but with a few changes.
Simply recipes / Sara Haas
My tips and optimizations
- Add mushrooms: Next time I would halve the amount of meat and swap in a box of finely chopped mushrooms. Since I like vegetables, especially mushrooms, this seems like the perfect, delicious swap.
- Add herbs: I wonder how much better this dish would taste if I had just added some thyme or other dried or fresh herbs. Next time I’ll try it and add it to the beef mixture after it’s cooked.
- Less soup, add cheese: As a resident of the Midwest, I am a proud cheese lover. Shredded cheddar cheese would add more flavor and fun. There’s a reason why cheese pulls are a “thing.”
