Everything but the Kitchen Sink Hot Dish
What do you mean everything but the kitchen sink hot dish? I needed to clean out my veggie drawer before we were leaving for a few days so I put everything but the kitchen sink into this dish and it was killer!
What the heck is hot dish?
Hot dish is something from my childhood that I love. It is a combination of meat, veggies and creamy soup topped with tater tots and cheese. How can anything with tots and cheese be anything but fantastic, right?
In other parts of the country this might be called casserole or even a “shepherds pie” type of dish. No matter what you call it, it is a great meal for you and your family.
The original recipe calls for canned soup. Usually cream of mushroom and or cream of chicken. I am not anti-canned soup but I am really watching what I put into my body lately meaning, I want to know everything that I am putting into my recipes. You don’t have to make the whole soup recipe, you basically make a roux, add milk and bouillon – there you go!
If there are veggies in the recipe you don’t like, simply leave them out. You want to add something else, go for it! It is very flexible and forgiving.
I hope you enjoy this little touch of the Midwest, no doubt that you will!
Bon appetit!
Everything but the Kitchen Sink Hot Dish
A great dish with beef, veggies and topped with tots and cheese!
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces
- 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, quartered
- 1/2 pound snipped fresh green beans, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 pound assorted mushrooms, quartered
- 1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Diamond Crystal salt and freshly ground black pepper- to taste
- 2 teaspoon fresh sage, minced
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 9 ounce can baby peas
- 1½ pounds frozen Tater Tots, I prefer Alexia's brand
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- In deep pan, add 6 TBSP of butter and place on medium heat burner. Add chopped onion and saute for 5 min. Add the mushrooms, if using, and minced garlic. Cook for 5 min. Add the rest of the fresh veggies and saute until everything is almost fork tender. Add the fresh chopped sage and thyme. Stir for a minute to release the flavors. Add pinch of salt and 4-6 twists of freshly ground pepper.
- Stir in the flour and make sure the veggies are all coated. Slowly start adding half of the milk. Keep stirring as it thickens add the remaining amount of milk. Stir in the chicken bouillon. Taste and season with more salt and pepper. Remove and put into bowl
- Melt 2 TBSP of butter into pan. Add the ground beef and break it up. Season with salt and pepper as it browns. Add the drained peas.
- Grease a 9x13 pan. Place half of the beef and pea mixture down into the bottom of the pan. Put half of the soup and veggie mixture (it will be hard to spread but it doesn't need to be pretty) then add remaining beef and pea mixture topped by the soup mixture.
- Cover with tater tots and sprinkle with cheese.
- Place in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Once the tots are crisp and cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 min. before serving.
Notes
Can be prepared a few hours ahead of time up to the putting the tots on top. Store in the fridge and when ready to bake, add the tots and cheese.