This breakfast hotdish is super easy. You can make it ahead of time or throw it together quickly the day you are cooking it. Best of all, it is adjustable for 2 people or 12!
I must admit until a couple years ago I never heard of hotdish. After seeing it on a food network cooking show I was curious as to what the hype was all about. So during the holidays with a house full of hungry young adults I decided to have a go at it, made a breakfast hotdish and WOW!
Hotdish originated in the mid west, primarily Minnesota in the 1930’s. It’s a complete meal in one dish that consists of protein + vegetable + starch and a creamy sauce binder. Looking at pictures of hotdish I thought it was just a funny name for a casserole. Wrong! There is a difference between hotdish and casserole. A casserole is named for what the dish is cooked in and doesn’t necessarily have meat. Hotdish is an actual complete meal.
The Method of Hotdish
Food and Wine has an article that includes Anatomy of a Hot Dish:
Protein: Ground beef, shredded chicken, canned tuna
Vegetable: Canned corn, canned green beans
Starch: Wild rice, macaroni, mashed potatoes
Sauce: Canned cream of anything soup: mushroom, celery, chicken, cheddar
Crispy Topping: Tater Tots, French’s French Fried Onions, chow mein noodles, crushed potato chips
How To Make A Breakfast Hotdish
What I love best about this dish is that you can virtually clear out your fridge and make something that tastes delicious! This hotdish does not have a cream sauce so to speak, but between the eggs and cheese it has that creamy feel.
Ingredients for my breakfast hotdish:
- Protein- ham
- Vegetables- onion, green pepper
- (sauce or binder)- egg with heavy cream and cheddar cheese
- Crispy starch topping- tater tots
Cook’s Notes
Try unique cooking/serving dishes like round cast iron, oval enameled cast iron or throw everything into a pretty baking dish. Cooking for 2? Try mini cast iron pans!
Think of this casserole when you need to take a dish to a church gathering, a friend in need or a large party!
Try different ingredients:
- sliced potatoes, fried onions, crispy crowns
- different cheeses
- breakfast sausage, bacon
- any vegetable you love!
For another great breakfast/brunch dish try my Moonstruck!
If you make this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars!
Breakfast Hotdish
Breakfast Hotdish is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dinner. It can be made for 2 people or for a crowd.
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 onion (chopped)
- 1/2 green pepper (chopped)
- kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 5 slices virgina ham (chopped)
- 8 eggs
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- tater tots (as many as you want to cover the top)
- garlic powder (pinch)
- paprika (pinch)
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat oil in bottom of pan and add vegetables. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and saute until translucent about 5 minutes. Add in ham and heat through 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile whisk together eggs and cream. Add in cheese. Pour over meat and vegetable mixture.
- Top with tater tots. Sprinkle garlic powder and paprika on top.
- Bake about 40 minutes.
You can adjust the amount of eggs depending on the size of your baking dish and the number of people.
Try a variety of meats and vegetables or other types of cheeses.
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