Recipe Background
This Minnesota Tot Hotdish layers roasted veggies, beef, and cheese, topped with crispy hashbrowns—perfect for a hearty, homespun meal.
Back in my college days, hotdish was the MVP of meal prep—especially during finals week. I remember my roommate and I would always have a stash of frozen hashbrowns, and we could never resist adding a sprinkle of smoked paprika on anything we cooked. One particularly chaotic week, we decided to level up our usual quick dinners and concoct what we imagined was the ultimate study-fuel hotdish. Ground beef from the nearby market and sharp cheddar were our secret weapons. Our budget was tight, but we splurged a little because these ingredients always made us feel like seasoned chefs.
As we started cooking, the cozy kitchen turned into a symphony of sizzling sounds. I was tasked with roasting the broccoli, a necessary twist for extra nutrition, while my roommate stirred the cheddar into the bubbling milk and cornstarch sauce. We laughed as we flipped through our notes, knowing this dish was just as much about stress relief as it was sustenance. The aroma of the browned beef and soft onions filled the tiny apartment. We layered it all into a single dish and crowned it with hashbrowns, feeling triumphant.
As it baked to golden perfection, the crispy potato topping was our crowning achievement, adding the perfect crunch. Letting it rest for ten minutes was key—taught by experience—to keep the slices clean when we dove in. Those simple moments, filled with laughter, cheddar, and paprika, turned a simple hotdish into a testament of friendship and collegial survival.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds broccoli cut into 1-inch florets
- 2 tablespoons canola oil divided
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 95% lean
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups low-fat milk
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 4 cups frozen hashbrowns or cooked shredded potatoes
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- canola or olive oil cooking spray to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Hungarian paprika preferably hot
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, toss the broccoli in 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- Spread the broccoli out on a baking sheet and roast, stirring once halfway through, until they are just soft and browned in spots, about 15 minutes.
- While the broccoli roasts, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the beef and the onion to the oil and cook, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until the beef has browned and the onion has softened, about 10-12 minutes.
- Stir the Worcestershire, the garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt into the beef mixture.
- In a large saucepan, whisk the milk and the cornstarch.
- Bring the milk mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking often, until it is bubbling and thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 6-8 minutes.
- Transfer the sauce mixture away from the heat and stir the cheese, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the turmeric into the sauce mixture until the cheese has melted.
- Spread the beef mixture in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Top the beef mixture with the broccoli and evenly pour the cheese sauce on top.
- In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, the egg, the pepper, and the remaining salt and sprinkle it evenly over the casserole.
- Coat the top of the casserole with the cooking spray.
- Bake the casserole until it bubbles and the potatoes begin to brown, about 40 minutes.
- Sprinkle the casserole with the paprika.
- Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes.
- Serve.
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