MacAroni Hot Dish

If you grew up in Minnesota, Wisconsin, or anywhere in the Upper Midwest, you know exactly what a hot dish is. This one is the blueprint: ground beef, cooked macaroni, canned soup, and an onion. That’s the whole grocery list.

Brown the beef with the onion first and drain the fat. That step keeps the finished casserole from getting greasy as it bakes. The two cans of condensed soup (cream of chicken and cream of mushroom together) create a rich, creamy sauce without making a roux or bechamel. Mix everything in a casserole dish, cover, and bake until it’s bubbling around the edges.

This is weeknight cooking that doesn’t pretend to be anything else. Five ingredients, one dish, and dinner is handled.

Chef Tips

• Use lean ground beef (90/10) so the casserole doesn’t pool grease. If you use fattier beef, drain it thoroughly.
• Don’t overcook the macaroni before baking. Cook it just shy of al dente since it absorbs liquid from the soup and softens further in the oven.
• Cover the casserole tightly with foil or a lid. Uncovered, the top dries out before the center heats through.
• Leftovers reheat well with a splash of milk stirred in to loosen the sauce back up.

Variations

• Tater tot hot dish: Top the casserole with a layer of frozen tater tots before baking. Uncover for the last 15 minutes to crisp them up.
• Cheesy version: Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar before baking and sprinkle more on top for the last 10 minutes.
• Swap the protein: Use ground turkey or crumbled Italian sausage instead of beef.