Hurray for Hotdish!

Ope! It seems like fall has snuck right up on us. I am not complaining one bit as I love this time of year and all the fall baking and heartier, stick-to-your-ribs cooking that comes with the season. I am looking at you hotdish.

By the way, have you noticed how hotdish has been enjoying some much-deserved attention as of late thanks to Governor Tim Walz with his run for VP? As he has been thrust into the spotlight, it’s been fun to watch all the media attention with deep dives into his background and what makes this folksy fella from the Midwest tick.

You betcha hotdish is involved. Apparently, Walz was a three-peat (aka a hat trick) winner of the Minnesota Congressional Delegation Hotdish competition throughout the years, and people are still talking about some of his creations. Several news outlets, from the Star Tribune to the Washington Post, recently shared his recipe for Turkey Trot Tater Tot Hotdish.

With all the banter about our state’s beloved dish and sweater weather sweeping in, I am in full-on hotdish mode and wanted to share a few of our go-to recipes in the Peterson household! They include Heavenly Hotdish, which is an old family favorite from my grandma Hilma’s kitchen, and our family’s humble version of tater tot hotdish that is about as simple as it gets (although I replace the can of condensed soup with a homemade version to suit a dairy sensitivity in my family).

But our family’s absolute favorite hotdish is one that combines two of Minnesota’s most iconic dishes, a Juicy Lucy cheeseburger and tater tot hotdish. We call it “Lucy’s Juicy Lucy Tater Tot Hotdish” as it was taste-test approved by my daughter Lucy who was with me every step of the way when I entered it in the Minnesota State Fair’s hotdish competition in 2021.

Earning a third-place ribbon, this “award-winning” hotdish includes two layers of ground beef blended with caramelized onions, ketchup, mustard, and a beer-infused binder. In between these beefy layers is a layer of juicy, American cheese as an ode to the recipe’s namesake. All of this is topped with a row of burger dill pickle chips and tater tots.

I wonder what Governor Walz would think of this one! Does your family have a favorite hotdish recipe? I would love to hear about it!