Tater Tot Hotdish is one of my husband’s top dinner requests, and classic comfort food here in Minnesota. My tried and true recipe features two ways to make it – with and withOUT canned soup!
Tater Tot Hotdish is One of my Husband’s Favorite Meals
If Blake were to create a Top Ten list of favorite meals that I make, I’m 100% positive this Tater Tot Hotdish would be included. And it would probably rank in one of the highest spots.
A number of years ago, I posted a photo of my homemade tater tot hotdish on Instagram and Facebook. And I was inundated with requests for my recipe.
Up until that point, I had never relied on a recipe for this favored dish of Minnesota culture. I had just used a few basic ingredients and thrown it all together, a little bit different each time.
But I promised those readers that I’d get serious and write it down to share with them. It’s been a hugely popular recipe ever since.
I’ve included two ways to make this tater tot hotdish. One is the much more traditional way, using canned soup. And the other – our family’s favorite – features a gravy made from scratch. Don’t worry, it’s easy to make. And it’s SO AWESOME GOOD!
What is Hotdish?
I often field this question from people who don’t live in our part of the country.
Hotdish is the quintessential one-dish meal found at most any family reunion, funeral lunch, church supper, or potluck in the Upper Midwest. This dish, humble in appearance, is especially beloved in Minnesota, with whole sections of small town church cookbooks dedicated to the many ways one could be assembled.
Hotdish is basically Minnesotan for “casserole”. It’s a well-rounded meal consisting of meat (usually ground beef, but also chicken, turkey, or tuna), carbs (usually pasta, potatoes, or rice), and veggies (canned or frozen), cooked all together in one big vessel. And, oh yeh, hotdish usually incorporates cream of mushroom soup, often referred to as “Lutheran binder” in these parts.
I’ll never forget the first time our youngest daughter Tessa sat down to tater tot hotdish at our table. She took a few bites, laid down her fork, and asked, “So is this basically a whole bunch of different things thrown together in one pan?” Ha!
I Make Tater Tot Hotdish with Homemade Gravy
Blake was admittedly skeptical when I told him I was going to create a homemade gravy base for my tater tot hotdish. He questioned, “Why mess with a good thing?”
Because, I told him, I was convinced that I could create a tater tot hotdish recipe that tasted even more amazing than the one I had always made with canned cream of mushroom soup.
His skepticism fueled my fire.
I was going to do this!
Feel free to use my recipe that utilizes the canned soup, it will save some time – and it’s still very good. But I beg you to try my version with gravy made from scratch.
The gravy’s texture is perfectly creamy, less oddly gelatinous than the canned soup version, with a cleaner, richer flavor. Hatti, Tessa, and I all agreed that the hotdish with the homemade gravy was indeed superior to the canned version, as our family scrutinized both compositions side by side in a weekday supper taste test.
But Blake, holding fast to his love for canned tradition, said that he’d eat either one just the same. I think he was secretly surprised that I actually made his beloved tater tot hotdish without opening a can, and got it to taste that good!!
Tater Tot Hotdish with Cheese, Because Cheese Makes (almost) Everything Better!
I give Blake credit for all the cheese you see melted over the top of the tater tot hotdish. It was his only suggestion when I was creating this recipe.
His motto in the kitchen could very well be:
“Cheese makes everything better.”
Now I always add a good helping of sharp cheddar to the top of the tater tots. Because it IS pretty darn good, I have to admit.
Now please be kind and don’t judge.
But I always, always, always eat my tater tot hotdish with ketchup. It just seems natural with all those awesome crispy tater tots for dippin’. But to each his own; enjoy this dish any way you see fit!
Break out your recipes for your best Jello salads and pans of bars, and let’s have some fun with this, Minnesota style. Be sure to check out a few of my renditions to the classic tater tot hotdish recipe, with the flavors of bacon cheeseburgers, tacos, and this kicked-up version with top sirloin and some heat!
CLICK HERE to save recipe to Pinterest!
Here are more casserole and hotdish recipes for you! Hamburger Hotdish from Melanie Makes. Our family loves sweet bell peppers, so I know this Stuffed Pepper Casserole would be a hit, recipe from Rachel Cooks. And I’m loving this Ramen Noodle Casserole from Amanda’s Cookin’!
Tater Tot Hotdish {2 ways…with and without canned soup!}
Ingredients
Recipe #1 – tater tot hotdish with homemade gravy:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 8 ounces chopped fresh button mushrooms
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup full-fat sour cream
- Morton kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I like to add quite a bit!)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
- 16 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (I like to use a mix of corn, carrots, green beans, and peas.)
- 2 pounds frozen tator tots
- 8 ounces block sharp cheddar, shredded
Recipe #2 – tater tot hotdish with canned soup:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (10 ounces each) Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup (I prefer the regular soup for this, not reduced fat or reduced sodium)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Frank’s RedHot Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup full-fat sour cream
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
- Morton kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 16 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (I like to use a mix of corn, carrots, green beans, and peas.)
- 2 pounds frozen tator tots
- 8 ounces block sharp cheddar, shredded
Instructions
Recipe #1 – tater tot hotdish with homemade gravy:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a 12" cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat, brown the beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Once browned, remove beef to a plate with a slotted spoon. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the beef fat from the skillet and adjust heat to medium.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the beef fat in the skillet. Once butter is melted, add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic, and stir to incorporate. Cook until onions are transparent and mushrooms are nicely softened, about 6-10 minutes.
- Now slide everything in the skillet to one side. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to other side of skillet. When the butter is melted, sprinkle the flour over the butter, whisking all the while (a flat whisk works great for this). Draw as much butter, beef fat, and juices from the vegetables as you can, into the flour. Cook for a 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling and slightly browned.
- Add soy sauce, Frank's Red Hot Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to the gravy side of the pan. Whisk and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly add the milk to the gravy side, while you whisk and scrape the bottom of the skillet. Once this mixture is smoothed out, bring the mushroom mixture into the milk mixture, and then add the reserved cooked beef. Stir to incorporate. Cook until thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in sour cream, 1 tablespoon of the parsley and 1 tablespoon of the thyme. Next add the frozen vegetables and stir to incorporate. Spread mixture into an even layer in the skillet. Then top with frozen tater tots.
- Place skillet in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Move skillet up a bit higher in the oven and broil until tater tots are nicely browned – this can take up to 10 minutes, depending on your broiler. Remove skillet from oven and sprinkle tater tots with cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Adjust oven back to 350°F and place skillet back in the oven (not under the broiler) and cook for an additional 6-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and gravy is bubbling. If desired, place skillet underneath the broiler for a few more minutes to brown the cheese just a bit. Remove skillet from oven.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Serve hot. I like to eat mine with ketchup and/or Frank's Red Hot Sauce.
Recipe #2 – tater tot hotdish with canned soup:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a 12" cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat, brown the beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Once browned, remove beef to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Discard beef fat and then add butter to the pan. Once butter is melted, add the onion and garlic. Stir to incorporate. Cook until the onions are transparent and nicely softened, about 6-10 minutes.
- Add cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, Frank's RedHot Sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to fully incorporate.
- Fold beef into the mixture and then cook until it is warmed and bubbling, stirring regularly. Add sour cream, half of the parsley and thyme, and the salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate. Then stir in the frozen vegetables. Spread mixture into an even layer in the skillet. Then top with frozen tater tots.
- Place skillet in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Move skillet up a bit higher in the oven and broil until tater tots are nicely browned – this can take up to 10 minutes, depending on your broiler. Remove skillet from oven and sprinkle tater tots with cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Adjust oven back to 350°F and place skillet back in the oven (not under the broiler) and cook for an additional 6-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and gravy is bubbling. If desired, place skillet underneath the broiler for a few more minutes to brown the cheese just a bit. Remove skillet from oven.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Serve hot. I like to eat mine with ketchup and/or Frank's Red Hot Sauce.
Video
Nutrition Information:
This post was previously published in 2014. Photographs and some of the text were updated in 2018.
Both are amazing! The without canned soup I modified to meet autoimmune paleo (coconut milk and coconut cream) and it was so good. Also ran out of tater tots for the modified recipe, so I put garlic whipped cauliflower on top. This will be a household staple. Thank you for sharing!
From MN….and this is the best tater tot hotdish.
Best tater tot hot dish ever!! I made the gravy version with ground turkey, and baked in a large pyrex baking dish. Topped with 1 lb. of shredded cheddar. My husband loved it. Had enough leftovers for work lunches, but just barely.
YAY! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!
OMG! First time I’ve ever commented on recipe, and I am a big Foodie. All I can say ( and I speak for my family as well) is …mind blown!!! This hotdish surprising way surpassed any and all of my expectations. Pretty much made exactly as written but uses half soy/ half Worcester, and used hot wings sauce instead of just Frank’s. My daughter went back for seconds and asked to take some home for lunch next day. I did double recipe and I am Soo glad I did.!! I will share this recipe with all my gals and tell them ” just make it , don’t think about it or try to figure out how it will taste, just make it!!”
Hello Kelly – thank you so much for your comment. This made my day!!! :)
Tried this for something different than my traditionally tater tot hotdish recipe and it was WAY too much soy sauce. Completely ruined it, unfortunately. (Tasted like salt.) I could see this being much better with maybe just 1-3 tsp soy sauce rather than 3T.
I’m sorry to hear you think this, Amy. This has been a very popular recipe, not only this site, but also with our family and friends. And I’ve never heard this comment. Did you use canned soups or make your own gravy? If you used canned soup, did you use the reduced sodium version?
Hi, Brenda! Got an email with your reply (though I don’t see it here just yet). Thanks so much. It’s in the oven right now. Never heard of a hotdish before, and my kids think it’s an alternate shepherd’s pie (I add cream of celery soup to mine), but we’re excited to try it! Thanks for all your awesome recipes.Â
In the recipe with the canned soup, I’m missing when o add the meat (I’m making it as we speak, using ground turkey). I assume just before or after you add the veggies?Â
Do you use all the flour for the gravy? I tried it last night but it turned into a porridge consistency instead of gravy. What did I do wrong?
I have made this a few times now (the no can version) and we just LOVE this. I’ve tweaked the different veggies and things we put into the casserole, but the homemade gravy can’t be beat. It’s my husband’s favorite!
I use Sweet Potato Tots and split it into two 8″x 8″ pans so I can use one and freeze one. Such an easy meal and when I can get a meal now and a meal for the future out of it, that’s the best!
Thanks for posting!
I just love comments like these – thank you so much for letting me know how much you like this recipe! I need to do that, make two separate pans. I usually just transfer the leftovers to a smaller pan and freeze for later. Thanks, Cami!
I’m from SoCal and I have never in my life heard of hotdish, but I am making this now and it smells and looks great. A wonderful comfort food! I love how you have adapted the recipe to be made with or without the canned soup. So excited to dig into this!
I’m always surprised by how many people haven’t heard of hotdish! :) Hope you liked this!
This looks great! I will be making this tonight with the homemade gravy sauce. A MN classic in my books.
Glad to hear this, Amanda. Hope you like it! :)
I’m from Minnesota and grew up eating Tator Tot hotdish. I never made it in my early adulthood, but one time, about 15 years ago I decided my husband needed to have Tator Tot hotdish at least once in his life. He loved it (and our kids– born later– love it) and we’ve been eating it ever since. I tried this recipe last night, and it worked out very well. Personally, I will forgo the cheese next time.
I had most of the ingredients in the house, but did do a few substitutions, using what we had on hand: Cholula’s original hot sauce (less than prescribed her), tamari soy sauce, and 2% milk. I didn’t have any parsley, so I omitted it. In addition to thyme I used dried summer savory and marjoram.
Great recipe! Thanks.
Great recipe! I tried the homemade version last night and loved it. Thanks!
I made the homemade version last night and my husband, who loves tater tot hotdish, said this was the best one he’s ever had! I will definitely be making it again. Thank you for posting and for sharing 2 different versions!
Ugh, I need to get a bigger cast iron skillet. I still had to use my casserole dish and put it in the oven, but I followed your gravy directions and it turned out great. Thank you for a can-free version!
Do we stir the ground beef into the gravy before topping? I read the recipe three times but I’m 40 weeks pregnant so I totally could have missed it! 😀
Yes, stir the ground beef into the gravy. You’ll find this in the final paragraph of the preparation instructions.
I got very interested when I saw the FB post of your wonderful dish; I was excited because I can’t not tolerate MSG which is a common ingredient in condensed soup. Unfortunately I can’t tolerate soy as well so I’m back to being disappointed at not being able to taste this “famous” casserole dish! If someone has an alternative to the soy sauce I’d love to hear it!
Hello Traci – I don’t think most people add soy sauce to their tator tot hotdish. I just like the flavor and color it adds, and then I cut back on the actual salt I use. You could still make this, just omit the soy sauce and add in salt to taste.
this dish looks really yummy. was wondering if you could omit the beef and make it vegetarian?
I’m sure you could. It would just be a very different hotdish than the original. The preparation would need to be altered.
Hello, making this today for my vegetarian sister- instead of beef an using finely chopped cauliflower. Also, omitting the worcestershire as it has anchovies. :)