Tater Tot Hot Dish

Oh the hot dish, a classic that is definitely native to Minnesota.  It is a fail safe recipe that is perfect for so many occasions...family dinners, church pot luck, bringing to an ill neighbor, new mother etc.

It's popularity is most likely based in the fact that it is a budget conscious meal, very hearty and my personal favorite...it can be made ahead, frozen and saved for later.

For those that don't know, a hot dish is essentially what the rest of the US calls a casserole. The base ingredients are a starch, canned soup, meat and vegetable.

There are many varieties to this classic dish but here is how I make mine:

Tater Tot Hot Dish

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef (you could probably get away with using 1 pound but we like it extra meaty)
1 package of tater tots (you most likely won't use the whole package)
2 cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup corn
1 cup green beans
salt and pepper for taste

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Brown ground beef, season with salt and pepper, drain off grease
3. Mix vegetables and meat and place in a hot dish (casserole) oven safe pan
4. Spread cream of mushroom soup over top. Do not add water.
5. Arrange tater tots on top.
6. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes.

And here it is a finished product! Yum!

How do you make your Tater Tot Hot Dish? What are your favorite memories or events that have included this great Minnesota recipe?