Best Casserole and Hotdish Recipes (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.

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.

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

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.

Many baked dishes served in the baking dish can be classed as casseroles. Examples include Lancashire hotpot (English), cassoulet (French), moussaka (Greek), and timballo (Italian).

Ask anyone who grew up in Minnesota, and they most likely have memories of enjoying the classic hotdish for a family dinner together around the table after a long day. Kids will remember the crispy layer of tater tots and the ooey, gooey cheese layer...not so much the vegetables so sneakily added to the hotdish.

A seemingly simple, tender noodle dish with plenty of cheesy, tangy flavor, and the refreshing garden sharpness of chives, Jackie Kennedy's Special Casserole is delicate and hearty at the same time, heartwarmingly homemade yet delightfully classic. You'll love every minute this is on your plate!

"The standard size of a casserole dish is 9 by 13 inches. However, due to varying shapes, they are often measured by volume, with three quarts being average,” says Contrino. “It is important to note that if a recipe calls only for a casserole dish, it is most likely asking for a 9- by 13-inch rectangular size.

He dabbled in chicken, pork and seafood, but steak was his favorite.

Tamales, circa 5000 B.C.

Tamales — tasty bundles of meat encased in masa — have a long history that dates back over 10,000 years. Tamales were a protein-rich, portable food carried by soldiers and hunters.

What ethnicity is casserole? ›

The word casserole is derived from a French word that means 'saucepan'. Apparently, casseroles originated as communal pots that people shared for meals. The oldest recipe for a casserole, around 1250, consisted of pasta sheets cooked in water, layered with grated cheese and spices.

Let's talk anatomy: A standard dinner casserole usually includes a protein, a starch, a vegetable, a sauce (or other binding ingredient), and cheese. But making a casserole is not an exact science, and you can definitely break away from this formula. Check out some fun side-dish casseroles and desserts below!

In Fargo, ND, a hot dish is basically a warm-ya-up, comforting casserole that's bursting with goodness. We think we hit the nail on the head with our recipe for Fargo Hot Dish. It's a layered casserole that features hearty noodles, ground beef tossed with tomato sauce, a savory cheese filling, and more.

Hotdish is essentially a casserole, usually consisting of canned vegetables such as green beans and/or corn, some kind of canned soup like cream of celery or mushroom, and some kind of protein (in this case ground beef.) The starch could be noodles or, like in this version, tater tots.

Hotdish is common terminology in western Wisconsin and Minnesota, while casserole is the preferred name everywhere else in the country.

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."

just keep in mind a hot dish is a one pot meal. a casserole is either a one casserole meal. or a side dish that you bake in a casserole dish and hope that heals.