The Great Cassorole or Hot Dish Debate

By: Kyle Grossnickle

Talk to any Minnesotan, and you will hear one or both of these things; “aboot” and “hot dish.” Many have grown up saying tater tot or green bean ‘casserole,’ but the term ‘hot dish’ is used almost exclusively by the people of Minnesota. Is there a correct one?

I had the pleasure to interview Hannah Varble, a sophomore in music and English here at Iowa State and a Minnesota resident. Hot dish is always the term used in the Varble household, with the interesting exception of green bean casserole, which is referred to as a casserole. When asked if she knows why her family all says hot dish, she said, “It’s just what I’ve grown up hearing and saying.”

Is there a correct answer? To find out, it’s essential to consult the formal definition of casserole. Mirriam-Webster Dictionary defines casserole as “a dish in which food may be baked or served.” Other definitions include “food cooked and served in a casserole” and “a deep round porcelain dish with a handle used for heating substances in the laboratory.” The important takeaway is that all three definitions refer to the dish in which the food is made and not the food itself, so it would appear that casserole is the “right” answer. But we can’t jump the gun yet. Let’s look into the history of the hot dish.

The hot dish originated as the hot pot in 1910. The hot pot was a WWI meal to make meats and canned foods stretch for long periods of time. According to an article from Eater.com, “Everything you need to know about hotdish” by Lina Tran, the first authentic appearance of hot dish was in a 1930’s cookbook. The purpose was to feed many people with limited materials, which is because it was the time of the Great Depression. It’s not really known as to why the rest of the world calls it casserole now or why only Minnesotans maintain the old term of hot dish, but that is a thought for another day.