PAGE THROUGH ANY MINNESOTA church cookbook, and you’ll find countless recipes for hotdish.
Plate up at a Minnesota potluck and you’ll find countless crockpots, cake pans and glass bakeware brimming with hotdish.
Hotdish, a mixture of meat (usually hamburger); vegetables; pasta, rice or tater tots; a binding agent (often a can of cream soup); and sometimes cheddar cheese, is a Minnesota staple. We love our hotdishes, not casseroles, here in the North Star state.
Tater Tot Hotdish is our signature hotdish. Our unofficial state hotdish. The Minnesota Congressional delegation even holds an annual hotdish contest in Washington D.C. Politics are set aside all in the name of a friendly cooking competition among legislators.
In my community, a Hotdish Showdown and sampling are part of the annual Faribault Flannel Formal celebrating all things flannel in the deep of winter.
I seldom make hotdish, with the exception of Chicken Wild Rice Hotdish. But whenever I’m at a potluck, I’ll scoop up whatever creative concoctions cooks prepare.
Recently I attended my family reunion, an annual gathering of the descendants of Henry and Ida Kletscher. We arrived with our crockpots, our cake pans, our bowls, laying out a buffet of hotdishes, baked beans, salads, bars, desserts and more.
Laura, who raises beef with her husband, my cousin Greg, brought Beef Stroganoff. Mark brought the best baked beans, so delicious I had two helpings. David, as he always does, brought sauerkraut, a nod to our German heritage. And someone brought Tater Tot Hotdish.
I ate more than I should have. But, hey, how could I not sample the goodness my extended family prepared in their kitchens?
Days before the reunion, the topic of hotdish surfaced at a funeral. No, hotdish was not served as it often is at Minnesota post-funeral luncheons. Rather, hotdish recipes were featured in a family cookbook compiled by my former neighbor, Jan, then displayed at her funeral.
G-Jan, as she was known to her grandchildren, with the help of her daughters, pulled together favorite recipes to print and place in a small binder for family. Her recipe box was also displayed. Among those recipes, hotdish. Goulash. Italian Hotdish. And then the “KIDS LOVE IT,” Jan noted, Tatertot (sic) Hotdish.
No food truly says “Minnesota” more than hotdish. We take pride in this dish referred to as a “casserole” in other parts of the country. “Hotdish” sounds less stuffy, more down-home, a word that fits Minnesotans. Especially when you toss in tater tots.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Love a good hotdish and sweet treat 🙂 Like with crisp – you can choose your adventure when it comes to making a hotdish. I actually have started using couscous (pearl size) instead of rice at times. Love a good can of veg all too – no chopping just open, dump, and go – ha! Happy Day – ENJOY! Need to break out the slow cooker now.
Written as a Minnesota native. Once a Minnesotan, always a Minnesotan! Thanks for appreciating hotdish.
My comment is mostly on the mural photo. It really caught my attention for its message of sharing and diversity. I’m betting Willmar has a number of outdoor murals. A few years ago Slayton worked on its first outdoor mural. One of the artists submitted a plan with crock pots in it. I don’t remember who the artist was or the details but for the first outdoor mural in the town, that just wasn’t going to work. The idea was a sense of sharing and community as represented by crockpots. Slayton got its first mural which is great. I had high hopes that more organizations or businesses would pursue more murals but that has not happened. I also enjoyed the actual hot dish part. I too don’t make a lot of hot dishes but am always amazed at a potluck with the variety.
Murals add so much to a community. Yes, Willmar probably has more, but I didn’t have a lot of time to explore. I’ll have a separate post coming eventually with additional Willmar pix. It’s definitely a diverse community.
I’m glad to hear that Slayton got its first mural. What’s the subject? Perhaps a grant could be secured through the regional arts council to create more murals??? What subject would you like to see portrayed in Slayton?
The present mural features farming, the lakes, youth, Native Americans & some historical buildings. We really wanted it to reflect not only Slayton but the whole county. We did receive a grant but it still was a lot of work to fulfill the requirements. Hopefully someone or somebody will step up again.
That sounds like a wonderful mural reflecting the entire county. I hope your community can find additional funding for more murals.
Never heard of oatmeal in Tater Tot Hotdish…hmm! I brown the hamburger first and use 1 can cream of mushroom, 1 can cream of chicken, 1 cup milk, chopped onions if I have the time, and shredded cheese, with the tater tots on top. No veggies but you can add them…I would rather have them on the side.
I haven’t heard of oatmeal in Tater Tot Hotdish either. But I have in meatloaf, so maybe that’s where that’s coming from. Veggies on the side sound good.
Grew up in Minnesota and hotdish was a regular dinner dish. So easy for a big family. But when did tater tot hotdish become the supposed definition of hotdish. Many people think all hotdishes include tater tots. Granted I have been living elsewhere for a couple of decades but tatertots were never included. 🙂🙃😉
That’s a good question. How did Tater Tot Hotdish become Minnesota’s unofficial hotdish? I never had it growing up. But were tater tots even around then? You’re right on hotdish being an easy way to feed a big family.
I was surprised to discover that tater tots were first sold commercially in 1956 by an Oregon company. Apparently they were so cheap at first, sales were low. Sales increased as they raised the price. 😎
Thanks for researching tater tots. I had no idea they’ve been around for 70 years. Interesting on the result of the price increase. Tater tots are plenty expensive now.
I, too, like hotdishes and still make my favorite comfort food one at times.
Hotdishes definitely are comfort food.
i love the pic of the ‘andy-warhol’ pop art style hotdish mural! the name hotdish is much better than casserole, it sounds so much more comforting, and inspires a communal event to share for most any occasion. the tot-dish makes sense as your state’s official dish. and now that i’ve seen your family reunion bars, i’m craving sweets. ) very cool that that C-Jan put the cookbook together –
Good comparison of the mural to Andy Warhol pop art. And, yes, Jan’s family appreciated her cookbook.