Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe (2024)

Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe

This old school comfort food casserole is hearty, delicious and just like Grandma used to make! This is a family favorite and perfect for any winter meal.


Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish


Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe (1)




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Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe (2)

What's better on a winter day than an amazing casserole?

Not much, in my opinion!

Today's recipe reminds me SO much of my childhood! "Hotdish" recipes like this one were a staple in my childhood growing up in Minnesota.

These casseroles were served for dinner, at potlucks, parties and everything in between. The term hotdish is unique to the midwest, especially Minnesota.

Hotdish meals were a great way to feed large families on a budget using small amounts of meat, canned or fresh vegetables, cream soups, rice or pasta.

Once two words, hot dish, then evolved into the one word phrase that us Minnesotans use today.

Another Minnesota thing... wild rice!

I love the earthy flavor and texture of wild rice. Wild rice is gluten free, low in calories, fat and sodium and isso great in soups and casseroles.

I love that it's a local product that I can purchase at the farmer's market.

Wild Rice grows in Minnesota lakes, marshes and streams and ripe wild rice is harvested every year between August and September. It's found in over 2000 Minnesota lakes and rivers!

Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe (3)



What is in wild rice hotdish?

  • Wild rice: If you haven't tried it before, now is the time! Find it on Amazon here!
  • Ground beef: One of my absolute favorite meats to use in recipes! I buy 90% lean ground beef in bulk at Sam's Club, then package into one pound packages with freezer paper for our meals!
  • Carrots: Packed with vitamin a and fiber, carrots are a favorite vegetable at our house. I only buy regular carrots because the flavor is SO much better than the pre cut baby carrots.
  • Celery: Rich in vitamin k, folate and potassium, Celery is mostly water, but is a great dietary fiber. I only love raw celery with buffalo wings, but I like it cooked in so many different dishes.
  • Cream soup: You either love it or hate it! I love it in casseroles because it reminds me of flavors from my childhood, but don't eat it often because of the high sodium. You can also use homemade cream soup if you prefer!

Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe (4)

Other wild rice recipes you may like:

This recipe is ready in these steps:

  • Preheat the oven and grease a glass baking dish
  • Brown the ground beef and onion, drain excess grease
  • Add the remaining ingredients to the skillet, pour into the baking dish
  • Bake and let stand before serving

Full recipe below


Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe (5)

You can add or substitute with the following ingredients:

  • sliced white mushrooms
  • ground turkey
  • chopped fresh rosemary
  • cream of celery soup
  • chopped bell pepper
  • green beans
  • sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • ground sausage
  • minced garlic
  • peas
  • chopped fresh parsley

Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe (6)

Looking for more casserole or hotdish recipes?

Things you may need:


Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe (7)




What to serve with this recipe:

  • Parmesan Dill Garlic Bread
  • Buttery Garlic Bread
  • Roasted Mushrooms with Garlic Paprika Butter


I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!


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Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe (8)


Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish

Yield: 4 servings

Author: Hot Eats and Cool Reads

ingredients:

instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish.
  2. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and onion until beef is cooked. Drain excess grease.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients to the skillet, stir until fully combined. Remove from heat and pour into the baking dish.
  4. Bake for 2 hours or until rice is tender. Remove from oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Created using The Recipes Generator


Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe (9)

What readers are saying about this recipe:

  • Pam- Make this all the time. Love it.....I also add mushrooms!
  • Garit- Great recipe! Didn't change a thing and it was delicious! Made this twice already and hubby loves it! It's really worth trying!
  • Madinah- One of the best things I have made. Brings me back to summers in Wisconsin. Tastes way better than it looks.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Minnesota Ground Beef and Wild Rice Hotdish Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's 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.

What is the difference between a hot dish and a casserole in Minnesota? ›

All hotdishes are casseroles, but not all casseroles are hotdishes. But the main difference between hotdish and other casseroles is where you make it. What someone in Minnesota or North Dakota would call hotdish, a person in Indiana would simply know as tater tot casserole.

Why is wild rice important to Minnesota? ›

Wild rice is also a cultural resource to many, particularly members of Minnesota's Dakota and Ojibwe tribal nations, and it is an important economic resource to those who harvest and market it.

What is a hotdish in North Dakota? ›

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.

What is casserole called in Midwest? ›

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.

What do Minnesotans call casserole? ›

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

What is the oldest known casserole? ›

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

What is a Midwest hot dish? ›

Hotdish is an anything goes one-dish meal from the Upper Midwest, but it's especially beloved in Minnesota and North Dakota. A creamy sauce binds three essential hotdish components together: starch, protein, and vegetable.

What food dish is Minnesota known for? ›

Gravlax, Spätzle, halušky, cabbage rolls, potato dumplings, and pierogis are very popular in Minnesota, all of which were brought by immigrants from Northern Europe. "Minnesotan sushi" is an appetizer that contains a pickle, covered in cream cheese and wrapped in ham, and cut into slices like sushi.

What is the wild rice controversy? ›

Since 2007, a group of residents of Pigeon Lake have been fighting Whetung's seeding of wild rice, claiming their shorelines are filled with the marshy plant that makes boating difficult. They've protested, held community meetings, contacted politicians, petitioned, and formed a group called Save Pigeon Lake.

What is the motto for Minnesota? ›

L'etoile du Nord (translation: “Star of the North”) was adopted formally as the official state motto in 1861. Henry Sibley selected this motto to be used on the state seal and the Legislature approved both the seal and the motto at the same time.

Why do you soak wild rice? ›

Consider pre-soaking: Pre-soaking wild rice for a few hours or overnight can help reduce the cooking time and promote a more even texture.

Why do Minnesotans say hotdish? ›

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."

What vegetable is North Dakota known for? ›

Potatoes are a big industry in North Dakota. In 2021, 76,000 (akers or acres) were planted to potatoes. 2. This is about the size of 57,500 football (fields or feilds).

What food is North Dakota known for? ›

Scandinavian immigrants brought many food traditions to North Dakota. You might be familiar with foods such as lutefisk, lefse, Swedish meatballs, rømmegrøt, pickled herring, pickled beets, rye bread and a variety of baked goods.

What makes a hotdish a hotdish? ›

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 a hotdish in Minnesota? ›

Within Minnesota, it's “hot dish” (two words) and is a very common term for a wide variety of casseroles. I've also seen “hot dish” used in North Dakota and Wisconsin.

What makes a dish a casserole? ›

The term “casserole” can refer to any dish prepared in a casserole dish—essentially a deep, wide baking dish—and baked in the oven. A casserole can have layers, as in the case of an Italian lasagna or a deep-dish pizza, or composed of some evenly distributed combination of veggies, a protein, and a starchy binder.

Is a casserole dish 9x13? ›

But the standard rectangular, 13-by-9-inch (or 3- to 5-quart) dish is the most basic and versatile, because the shape is so great for entrées like macaroni and cheese or enchiladas, and for baked goods like bar cookies and coffee cakes.

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