Combining two of Minnesota’s iconic dishes, Lucy’s Juicy Tater Tot Hotdish includes gooey, American cheese sandwiched in between two layers of ground beef blended with caramelized onions, ketchup, mustard and a beer-infused binder that’s all topped with a layer of pickles and tater tots. Taste-test approved by a real-life Lucy.
We love our hotdish in Minnesota, especially when topped with crispy tater tots! But this is not your ordinary tater tot hotdish. This is a twist on a Juicy Lucy—a burger made famous by a bar in Minneapolis that includes hot, molten cheese injected into the middle of the burger instead of on top. It’s so legendary that I thought it deserved to be a hotdish!
I had the chance to turn my vision into reality when the Minnesota State Fair announced a hotdish contest this past year as part of its annual blue ribbon competitions. I got right to work to create a recipe for this fine dish and had several family and friends taste test along the way–including my daughter Lucy who is this recipe’s namesake and was by my side each step of the way.
A Juicy Twist on Tater Tot Hotdish
Lucy’s Juicy 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 gooey, American cheese and all of this is topped with a row of burger dill pickle chips and, of course, tater tots!
To me, the “secret sauce” is the beer-infused binder. While most hotdishes include a can of condensed soup, I made my own binder and added some Grain Belt Premium Lager which gives it a great flavor—and who doesn’t enjoy a Juicy Lucy with a pint of beer anyway?!
I hope you will make this hotdish and let me know what you think. I think it would be a great dish to bring to a potluck or tailgate party or whenever you are craving a big, juicy cheeseburger topped with pickles and a side of tots!
This recipe has a new home! I’ve moved this beloved recipe into my upcoming cookbook, Dish and Tell: Recipes from the Heart, where it will appear alongside so many other family favorites. Thank you for your understanding and for cooking along with me over the years. You can learn more about Dish and Tell and pre-order the book here.
