maxine in ri > wrote:

> to the potluck this coming Friday. Hmmm, hotdish. Isn't that a mid-
> western phenomenon of the casserole kind? What elements make up
> hotdish, and how creative can one get when making it?

Here is what Howard Mohr says, in _How to Talk Minnesotan_:

"Hotdish is constructed on a base of canned cream cream of mushroom soup
and canned vegetables. The other ingredients are as varied as the
Minnesota landscape." Here is his generic recipe:

Victor

Generic Hotdish (for 4)

Mix together in a large bowl:
Two cans cream of mushroom soup
1 pound cooked pulverized meat
2 cans of vegetables.

Stir.
Salt to taste.
Pour into baking dish.
Sprinkle with canned french-fried onion rings
or Chow Mein noodles.
Bake at 400 degrees until a brown crust forms.