Yes. I'm a native Minnesotan. We call them hotdish - not casseroles. They're even better when they include a Minnesota tradition -- wild rice. Comfort food at its finest.
This week for the Food Network Chef's Cooking Challenge, we focused on the Deen family... Paula and her boys. While Paula's recipes look amazing... if I make her recipes, I find myself modifying them galore. Why? Because, like Julia Child, Paula loves her butter. So, I searched for a recipe that I was "healthier".... and this one grabbed my attention. Of course, I still modified it because we're not big shrimp fans, and I got rid of the butter - it's not needed. The result... delicious comfort food :)
Wild Rice Hotdish - Adapted from Paula Deen
1 box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice - original
1/2 lb. ground beef (we used extra lean)
1 bell pepper, diced (we used half purple/half yellow)
1 recipe homemade cream of mushroom soup
~1 C shredded Colby Jack cheese
Cook the wild rice according to package directions.
Brown the ground beef (I used frozen leftovers). Then, add to a 9x9 glass baking dish.
Saute the diced peppers in 1/8 C chicken broth.
Then, combine the rice, beef, peppers and half of the shredded cheese.
Stir well.
Then, pour over the cream soup and mix well.
Top with remaining cheese.
Bake at 325 for ~30 minutes until cheese is browned and hotdish is bubbly.
Serve warm. Taste the comfort :)
Do you have a favorite Paula Deen recipe that I should try? We'll get to do her recipes again in a few months!
This recipe is also linked to Foodie Friday and Ingredient Spotlight.
