Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a Hotdish and a casserole? ›

Purpose: A casserole can serve any function, for example, a main dish, side dish, breakfast, or even dessert. A hot dish is a main meal only, as it (purportedly) contains all the nutrients one needs in a hearty meal. Well, there you have it folks.

Despite its name, wild rice is not rice at all. Although it is the seed of an aquatic grass like rice, it's not directly related to it. This grass grows naturally in shallow freshwater marshes and along the shores of streams and lakes.

You might call it a casserole, but we Minnesotans call it a hotdish. Course: Main Course.

Wild rice is also a cultural resource to many, particularly members of Minnesota's Dakota and Ojibwe tribal nations, and it is an important economic resource to those who harvest and market it.

Only a Midwestern staple for which every home cook has a go-to recipe waiting in their back pocket. A hotdish is essentially a casserole that typically consists of a starch (potatoes or pasta are most common), frozen vegetables, a meat, and a can of cream-of-something soup.

A hotdish or hot dish is a casserole dish that typically contains a starch, a meat, and a canned or frozen vegetable mixed with canned soup.

Gravlax, Spätzle, halušky, cabbage rolls, potato dumplings, and pierogis are very popular in Minnesota, all of which were brought by immigrants from Northern Europe. "Minnesotan sushi" is an appetizer that contains a pickle, covered in cream cheese and wrapped in ham, and cut into slices like sushi.

Macaroni and cheese is the oldest written casserole recipe found in 1250.

John Wayne first wrote the casserole recipe, but it looks a little different today. John Wayne Casserole was first popularized by the 1979 cookbook, "Cooking with Love from Cara and Her Friends," a collection of different celebrities' favorite dishes.

Since 2007, a group of residents of Pigeon Lake have been fighting Whetung's seeding of wild rice, claiming their shorelines are filled with the marshy plant that makes boating difficult. They've protested, held community meetings, contacted politicians, petitioned, and formed a group called Save Pigeon Lake.

What is the indigenous name for wild rice in Minnesota? ›

Wild rice (Zizania aquatica or Zizania palustris), called manoomin in the Ojibwe language, has been a staple food for Minnesota's Indians for centuries. It was adopted as the official state grain in 1977. It is an aquatic grass not related to common rice.

Consider pre-soaking: Pre-soaking wild rice for a few hours or overnight can help reduce the cooking time and promote a more even texture.

According to Eater, the elements that are absolutely necessary to include in hotdish are a starch, protein, and vegetable bound together by a creamy sauce, usually cream of mushroom soup. It's all baked in one dish and served piping hot.

What is known, though, is that the term "hotdish" first appeared in a 1930 Mankato cookbook, published by Grace Lutheran Ladies Aid. "What's clearer is that the dish has become a symbol of Minnesotan identity," Deustch said. "That is exactly why there are so many debates over what a hotdish can be."

(And, in case you were wondering, a hot dish is just like a casserole -- they just say "hot dish" instead of "casserole" over in Minnesota.)

The term “casserole” can refer to any dish prepared in a casserole dish—essentially a deep, wide baking dish—and baked in the oven. A casserole can have layers, as in the case of an Italian lasagna or a deep-dish pizza, or composed of some evenly distributed combination of veggies, a protein, and a starchy binder.