April 9, 2013
posted by Haley
16 Comments
Did you know that a true Minnesotan doesn’t accept food until the third offer?
Take it from me – a born and bred Minnesotan – that would be much too forward and verging on rude. Here’s howa scene may play out at a Sunday evening get-together among friends or neighbors:
- Host: Do you want some more dessert?
- Minnesotan: Oh no, I really shouldn’t.
- Host: Oh come onnow. Are you sure?
- Minnesotan: Ya – I think I should pass.
- Host:There’s still a lot left and I really don’t want to bother with leftovers.Are you sure?
- Minnesotan: Oh, well, I really shouldn’t. But if you insist…
Back in college, I had a speech communication professor from Thailand. In our intercultural communication class, he showed us a video called “How toSpeak Minnesotan”.
It gave a comical but realistic look at some common Minnesotanisms: The long goodbye; waving to the driver of an oncoming vehicle; extreme modesty.Things that make so much sense to us, but may seem a littlepeculiar from the outside.
Lesson #5was my favorite: Eating in Minnesota.
What Is Hotdish?(From How To TalkMinnesotan)
- Hotdish is served hot
- Hotdish is served in a dish
- Hotdish typically appearsat church suppers, weddings, 4H meetings, and funerals
Generic Recipe For Hotdish (from How toTalk Minnesotan)
Mix together 2 cans ofcream of mushroom soup, 1 pound of cooked pulverized meat, 2 cans of pale vegetables. Stir. Salt to taste. Pour in baking dish. Bake between 400 and 700 degrees, until a crust forms. (See below for real recipe).
Wantto learn how to talkMinnesotan yourself?Watch this amusingand slightly esoteric video – and prepare to be entertained:
All jokes aside, hotdish is a much loved meal in Minnesota and throughout the upper Midwest. It can be prepared so many different ways (here are 30+ ideas) – with ground beef, tuna, chicken, canned or frozen vegetables, and a variety of crunchy toppings.
And every family here seems to have a favorite hotdish recipe. Here are some of my family’s favorites.
More Minnesota Hotdish Recipes
- Three-bean hotdish
- Ring bologna hotdish
- Pizza hotdish
- Tuna noodle hotdish
- Tater tot hotdish
- Simple hamburger hotdish
- Thanksgiving leftover hotdish
- Cheesy corn hotdish
- Crab rangoon hotdish
- Chicken broccoli hotdish
Yield: Serves 5 or 6 hungry Minnesotans
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
This hotdish recipe is hearty and filling. Make a night out of it and watch your favorite Minnesota-themed movie like Fargo, New in Town, or Juno.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 package frozen stir fry vegetables
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups chow mein noodles, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Brown ground beef and onion. Place in the bottom of a large casserole dish. Mix in soups, frozen vegetables, half of the green onions, seasonings, and 1 cup of chow mein noodles.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with remaining chow mein noodles. Return to oven and bake for additional 15 minutes or so, until hotdish is hot and bubbly, and chow mein noodles are browned.
- Top with remaining chopped green onions and serve.
Recipes Main course
posted by Haley on April 9, 2013 (updated October 3, 2023)
16 Comments Leave a Comment »
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16 comments on “Chow Mein Noodle Hotdish Recipe”
Leave a comment »
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Violet — Reply
Great, thank you. I like dishes that are easy to make:)
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Tess @ Cake and Vodka — Reply
I love easy meals-thanks so much!
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Eileen — Reply
Classic midwest! I grew up in Chicago, so we had casserole instead of hotdish, but hey–it’s all the same food group. “Things in pyrex,” perhaps? 🙂
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Haley — Reply
Only the most sophisticated of Minnesotans call it “casserole” 😉
But you’re right – it’s all pretty much the same thing!
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Karen Harris — Reply
So funny! This looks and sounds like the pot luck dishes that I loved eating while growing up. Yum, I can almost taste it.
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LOVE how to talk Minnesotan!!! And, love a good hotdish. In fact, my grandmother has been known to make this very dish!
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Steffen W. — Reply
Just came across this amazing looking and sounding hotdish, but was left with one question i hope you can answer (since the video is down and not able to help here anymore):
Are the noodles already cooked? If not, what chow mein noodles were you using? 🙂
Thanks for your answer!-
Haley — Reply
Hi Steffen,
Great question. The chow mein noodles aren’t cooked. I buy them in the Asian food section of the grocery store. It looks like you’re from Germany, I believe, so I don’t know how easily you can find them there. They’re very crunchy and ready to eat out of the bag. I hope that helps!
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Steffen W. — Reply
Somehow i wasn’t able to figure out how to reply to your reply Haley so i have to write another comment… sorry 🙁
Your comment helps more than just “a bit”. It’s exactly what i hoped for. 🙂
And yes i’m probably able to get my hands on some Chow Mein Noodles in Germany. (So yes you “guessed” right ^^) I just have to figure out if the chow mein noodles you’re reffering to/used are mor like the ones you kinda “have to cook” for a while (https://bamboogarden.de/bilder/produkte/l/4023900539964.png) or those instant wok noodles you can sue without cooking them first (https://bamboogarden.de/bilder/produkte/l/4023900430018.png). But i think i’ll go with the last one 😀
Thanks again! 🙂-
Haley — Reply
The second link looks about right – as long as you can eat them right out of the package?? Hope you like it Steffen!
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Steffen W. — Reply
Me again xD. I was about to make the hot dish tomorrow and realized i have everything, but how much (gram/oz) is one package stir fry vegetables? There are a lot of package sizes… sounds 750g ok? ^^
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Sarah — Reply
Can this be made in a crockpot? 🙂
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Haley — Reply
I think so, but I’ve never tried it. I would brown the beef before putting in the crockpot, then heat on low for an hour or two… just check to make sure it’s all heated and ready to go. Add the chow mein noodles at the end.
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Nicole — Reply
Thank you so much for this entertaining post! I’m home sick (and homesick) and decided to look for the recipe for the hotdish my grandma always used to make. I got the recipe, but even better than the taste of MN, you included some MN culture, which cheered me right up! I look forward to making this recipe. (BTW, Tater Tot Hot Dish is my second favorite one.)
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Haley — Reply
Aw, thanks Nicole! I love how recipes can take you right back 🙂
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