What Is A Hot Dish And How Does It Differ From A Casserole? - Tasting Table

"Two things that people love to argue about are food terms and regional food preparations, and the messy debate between hot dish and casserole encompasses both. While casserole is widespread throughout the country, hot dish is specific to Minnesota and border regions of North Dakota and western Wisconsin in the upper Midwest. The term "hot dish" first showed up in a local Minnesota cookbook in 1930, in the era when canned goods were leading to the first rise of casseroles, and the term has become heavily associated with state."

"Thankfully, there are some general guidelines regarding hot dish that most people won't argue with. First off, hot dish is a type of casserole recipe, but not all casseroles are hot dishes. It's essentially a regional subcategory of the larger term, which refers to any one-pot meal that is baked in a casserole dish. Hot dish follows a formula that is more narrow than casserole, and it is meant to be a meal in itself, so side dishes like green bean casserole wouldn't count as a hot dish. Instead you need at least four, and ideally five, separate components to make a rib-sticking hot dish."

"Because hot dish is meant to be a whole meal, and a filling one at that, the first two essential aspects it must include are a meat and a starch. They could be ground beef and potatoes, chicken and noodles - you name it. But Midwesterners don't neglect their vegetables, and another hot dish must is including some kind of veggie in the casserole, usually a canned or frozen option like peas or corn. Finally, everything has to be held together by a creamy and saucy binder."

Hot dish is a regionally specific term primarily used in Minnesota and adjacent Upper Midwest areas, appearing in a Minnesota cookbook in 1930 during the rise of canned-goods casseroles. Hot dish functions as a subcategory of casserole, defined as a baked one-pot meal rather than a mere side. A true hot dish is intended to be a complete, filling meal and typically contains at least four, ideally five, components. Essential components include a meat, a starch, a vegetable (often canned or frozen), and a creamy, saucy binder to hold the dish together.

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