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A hotdish (or hot dish) is a casserole that typically contains a starch, a meat, and a canning or frozen vegetable mixed with canned soup. The dish originates in the Upper Midwest region of the United States, where it remains popular, particularly in Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Montana. Hotdish is cooked in a single baking dish, and served hot (per its name). It commonly appears at communal gatherings such as , , and church suppers.
A classic hotdish known as "tater tot hotdish" is traditionally made with ground beef topped with tater tots and flavored with thick Condensed soup cream of mushroom soup sauce.
Hotdish secured its popularity during the Great Depression, when grocery budgets required creative preparations for cheap foods, and the popularity continued into the rationing during World War II. It was likely preceded by an American dish known as "hot pot."
According to Howard Mohr, author of How to Talk Minnesotan, "A traditional main course, hotdish is cooked and served hot in a single baking dish and commonly appears at family reunions and church suppers." The most typical meat for many years has been ground beef, and cream of mushroom remains the favorite canned soup. In years past, a pasta was the most frequently used starch, but tater tots and local wild rice have become very popular as well.
In 2016, Food & Wine credited a 1930 Mankato church congregation as the first written record of a hotdish recipe. The source included neither the name of the woman that invented the recipe nor the source. Mankato resident, Joyce Nelson, 90, had a copy of the 1930 Lutheran church recipe book and it was found that the recipe was indeed included in that year's cookbook. Mrs. C. W. Anderson had submitted the recipe for a HOT DISH made with hamburger, onions, Creamette pasta, celery, a can of peas, tomato soup and tomatoes.
Hotdishes are filling, convenient, and easy to make. They are well-suited for family reunions, funerals, church suppers, and covered dish dinners or where they may be paired with potato salad, coleslaw, , Snickers salad, and pan-baked desserts known as dessert bars.
Cream of mushroom soup is so ubiquitous in hotdish that it is often referred to in such recipes as “Lutheran Binder,” referring to hotdish's position as a staple of Lutheran church . The soup is considered a defining ingredient by some commentators.Mohr, H. (1987). How to Talk Minnesotan. New York: Penguin Books.
For the second competition in March 2012, Franken's "Mom's Mahnomen Madness Hotdish" tied with Chip Cravaack's "Minnesota Wild Strata Hotdish" for first place.
With 9 of the 10 members of the delegation participating in 2013, the winner was Congressman Walz's "Hermann the German Hotdish", which featured a bottle of August Schell beer, made locally in New Ulm, Minnesota. Bachmann vs. Franken: Minnesota Pols Dish Up Rivalry at ‘Hotdish Off’ , ABC News, accessed April 25, 2013 Sen. Franken has also provided a free PDF version of the 2013 Hotdish Off collection of recipes.
In 2014, all ten members participated, with Rep. Walz's "Turkey Trot Tater Tot Hotdish" winning. In 2015, again all ten participated, and Rep. McCollum's "Turkey, Sweet Potato, and Wild Rice" dish won.
Minnesota public television station KSMQ in Austin, Minnesota has produced a 2012 documentary video entitled "Minnesota Hotdish." "Minnesota Hotdish: The Documentary," MinnPost.com, Minneapolis, Minnesota , accessed May 11, 2013 providing a historical and humorous look at the popular church supper and family gathering staple.
Hotdish was the main meal featured in the comedy-drama film Manny & Lo.
"Hot Dish" is the name of an Anchorage-based Bluegrass music band. Their band name was chosen as a nod to the Midwestern roots of three of the five band members.
"Hot Dish" was the seventh track on Lizzobangers, the debut studio album of singer, rapper, and flautist Lizzo. Lizzo lived in the Twin Cities at the time and started her career in the area.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz went viral on X after posting his winning "Turkey Trot Tater-Tot Hotdish" recipe.
Food blogging and restaurateur Molly Yeh is notable for sharing many hotdish recipes and was labeled in one article a “hotdish expert”.
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