It is FINALLY summer here! The weather has been HOT (it is supposed to be 94 degrees on Friday!!) and the sun has been shining, so you are probably thinking “why the heck is this girl making a hotdish and using the oven?” Well, the answer is simple, because I want to and because I love a good hotdish- I am from the Midwest after all! Speaking of hotdish- did you know that there are a lot of people out there who have no idea what a hotdish is or how to make one? Crazy!! A hotdish is something simple, hot (duh!), filling, and homey- all things every great meal should have. This recipe is again, easy (sensing a trend with me?) and I bet you already have the majority, if not all, of the ingredients already in your house.
So, I had my recipe all written out (this one came from the ‘ol noggin- my mom and grandmother taught me how to make a hotdish, and since they all have the same basic concept, they are pretty easy to just make up), but I was struggling on what to name it. It is basically my version of the classic “Tater Tot Hotdish”, but I put a little spin on it to eliminate some of the carbs and use cauliflower instead of tater tots and sometimes I leave out the hash browns that go in the filling and will replace it with cauliflower, too (it depends on my mood and what is in the fridge/freezer). So I started brainstorming with my boyfriend- “Faux-tato Tot Hotdish”- “Cauli-tot Hotdish”- “Tater Tot…NOT Dish”- “NO Tater Tot Hotdish”- and we landed on “Tater Tot…NOT Dish”. Catchy? Maybe. We liked it anyways :) Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. Hamburger & Seasonings (chopped onion, minced garlic, salt & pepper, and parsley- OR whatever you like to season your ground with)
1 bag frozen mixed veggies (I like the blend with peas, carrots, corn, and green beans)
1 bag frozen cauliflower OR ½ head of fresh cauliflower
1 can of mushroom pieces OR 1 container of fresh mushrooms
2 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 ½ cups of shredded cheese (Colby Jack or Cheddar are my favorites)
OPTIONS:
If you aren’t concerned with carbs, throw in 1-2 cups of shredded hash browns.
If you are watching your carbs, add more cauliflower to the filling and instead of the mixed veggies mentioned above, opt for veggies lower in carbs (green beans or broccoli).
If you would like to make this gluten-free, try this gluten-free recipe for Cream of Mushroom Soup from: Gluten Free on a Shoestring.
*For this recipe I added the hash browns to the filling- so not too concerned with carbs today 😉
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Brown the hamburger and add your desired seasonings.
While the hamburger is browning, steam the bag of mixed veggies according to the package. When these veggies are done, steam the cauliflower according to the package or for 6 minutes if you are using the fresh version.
When the hamburger is cooked, drain and put back in the pan. Add the cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms, mixed veggies, and hash browns (if you are using them).
Spread this mixture (aka filling) in a 9x13 glass pan. Top with the steamed cauliflower and sprinkle with the shredded cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly. Turn the broiler on high and broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese is browned.
Cool and Enjoy!
