Unveiling North Dakota’s Favorite Hotdish And It’s Not Close

Did you Grow Up on Hotdish?

I know I did. Back in the day, when money was tight, it was an affordable way to feed your family. So many different kinds of hotdishes or casseroles are served in our neck of the woods. Hotdish is definitely a staple in Minnesota and the Dakotas.

I ate hotdish so much growing up, I can honestly say I have never once made one as an adult. To be honest, I want to vomit when I think of some of them, like tuna hotdish. 7-layer hotdish was another one that was frequently served in my home growing up. I can still see all that grease lying in the pan in my mind. Yuck! Then we have a whole new level of hotdish, known as "funeral hotdish". I can smell it in my mind, and it brings back some not-so-fun memories from church basements.

I know not all people in North Dakota share my distaste for hotdish. In fact, some people actually enjoy them, and they are a part of their families' weekly food menus. There's only one hotdish that my stomach can somewhat stomach. More on that in a minute. I recently asked my listeners on our app, social media pages, and took calls on air, what is their favorite "hotdish"? In somewhat of a surprise, it was a one-horse race, and it happens to be the only hotdish that I would maybe eat today.

North Dakota's Favorite Hotdish/Casserole is Tater Tot Hotdish.

After tabulating several hundred votes, it was the Tater Tot Hotdish that ruled supreme. There are many ways to serve this hotdish. You can use chicken, but most often it's made with browned beef, cream of mushroom soup, your favorite frozen vegetables (my mom used corn most often), and a layer of tater tots.

Some Other Notable Hotdish/Casseroles that were Mentioned in our Survey Include:

Goulash gets second place, but still a long way from Tater Tot hotdish. We also had a few mentions for chicken and rice, Swedish meatballs, and tuna and peas. Again, Yuck!

There you have it. It's not even close. Tater Tot hotdish rules North Dakota kitchens.