Minnesota tater tot hotdish is a family favorite! This version is made without canned condensed soup so it's free from common allergens like gluten and dairy but it's still delicious enough for everyone to enjoy!
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If you live in Minnesota, there are two things that you must embrace: the cold winters and hotdish.
Hotdishes (casseroles if you're not from Minnesota) are usually made by mixing meat and some kind of starch (rice, pasta, potatoes) with a can or two of condensed cream soup. (And there might be some vegetables thrown in, too.)
Condensed soups usually have wheat, dairy, and soy which are common allergens. But you can still make a delicious Minnesota tater tot hotdish without it.
Ingredients
- Ground beef or ground turkey
- Onion
- Earth Balance Buttery Spread - This comes in a dairy free variety or a soy AND dairy free variety. If you can't find it, you can substitute a safe cooking oil like olive oil instead.
- All-purpose gluten free flour - I use Bob's Red Mill all-purpose baking flour. Any gluten free flour should work fine.
- Gluten free beef or chicken broth - I like Kitchen Basics broth which is free of the top 9 allergens.
- Frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots)
- Frozen tater tots - be sure to read labels carefully and choose a brand that is free from your allergens (see FAQ's below for more).
Recipe tips and FAQs
Add extra vegetables
This recipe calls for one 14 ounce bag of mixed vegetables but I often add two bags because I love my veggies! It also helps the dish go a bit further which is nice if you want some leftovers.
Add extra meat
Speaking of adding extra components to make the dish go further, adding more meat is another way to do that.
My kids love this meal so much that they want to eat it for lunch the next day! So, I started adding an extra half-pound of meat so we'd have leftovers. I still make the same amount of sauce and it still turns out well, just not as creamy.
Make it ahead of time
I often make this dish while I'm preparing another dinner that also uses ground beef or turkey. I start with two pounds of ground meat and then divide it.
A dish this works particularly well with is this gluten and dairy-free turkey stroganoff because both of these dishes have a similar creamy sauce. I make double the sauce and divide it between the two dishes, then add the other components to each.
Once the hotdish is assembled, just cover it and put it in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
Freeze it
You can assemble this dish and freeze it before baking. Ideally, you would let it thaw for 24 hours before baking, and then bake the normal amount of time. If you are baking it frozen, the baking time will be quite a bit longer.
I also like to freeze individual portions of leftovers. This is my version of a frozen entree but without the allergens!
Are tater tots gluten free and allergy friendly?
You can find tater tots that are gluten free and free of other common allergens such as dairy and eggs.
The most widely available brand that I have seen is Ore-Ida. Their Golden Tater Tots say gluten free right on the label and they do not list any other common allergens except soybean oil.
Like Ore Ida, many tater tot brands are made with soybean oil which can be a problem for those with soy allergies.
If you are avoiding soybean oil and are looking for safe tater tots, here are some options I found (updated March 2022):
- Alexia Organic Yukon Puffs
- 365 by Whole Foods Tater Puffs - does have an advisory statement that states these are processed ina facility that processes wheat, milk, and soy (here is a link to the company's allergen policy).
- Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs - I've been sweet potato tots are excellent on this dish and these are free from the top 9.
More main dishes
📖 Recipe
Minnesota Tater Tot Hotdish
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 4 tablespoons "safe" margarine such as Earth Balance
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose gluten free flour
- 2 cups gluten free beef or chicken broth
- 1 12 ounce package frozen mixed vegetables
- 32 ounces frozen tater tots See notes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a 13x9 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- In a skillet, brown the ground beef or turkey over medium-high heat. Drain the fat if there is excess. Add the onion and saute until tender. Place this mixture in the casserole dish.
- In the skillet, melt the margarine. Sprinkle the flour over it and whisk together for about 1 minute. Whisk in half of the broth. Allow mixture to bubble and thicken and add more broth until the mixture is the consistency of thick gravy.
- Pour the cream sauce mixture over the beef/turkey mixture in the casserole dish and mix together. Next, cover beef/turkey mixture with frozen mixed vegetables. Then, top with enough tater tots to cover the entire vegetable layer.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the cover and bake an additional 15 minutes at 425 degrees or until the tater tots are golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately.
Notes
- See the notes in the post about finding allergy friendly tater tots.
- Read labels carefully to make sure ingredients do not contain your allergens.
Nutrition
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Maureen says
What tater tot brand are you using that is free of the top 9 allergies?
Kristi says
Hi Maureen,
This is a great question - thank you for asking!
I use a variety of brands including Season's Choice (Aldi), Ore-Ida, and Market Pantry (Target). These do contain soybean oil which many with soy allergies can tolerate. Another option might be 365 by Whole Foods brand which is free of the top 9 allergens. The label does have an advisory statement: processed in a facility that processes milk, wheat, and soy (link to the company's allergen policy).
Another option would be to use Ian's Alphatots which are free of the top 9. This label does have an advisory statement that says "PACKAGED IN A FACILITY THAT MANUFACTURES PRODUCTS CONTAINING FISH."
I hope one of those options work for you!
Leah says
Your recipes have been a lifesaver. EBF a 6 month old and for the past few months we have eliminated dairy, soy, egg, and nuts to try to figure out what allergens he has issues with. We've tried your green bean casserole, turkey stroganoff, and we just tried this one tonight. All of them are so good. I never knew I could make gravy/condensed soup that didn't come from a packet or can. So thank you so much, all your recipes we've tried are just so tasty and make us feel like we aren't missing out on good food! Side note - the only tater tots we could find today that didn't have soybean oil were some sweet potato tots. Not gonna lie, I don't know if I could make this without the sweet potato tots now.
Kristi says
Thank you for your kind words, Leah! I'm so glad that the recipes here have been helpful. And, by the way, sweet potato tots sound like a great variation for this dish!
Mom of many says
We LOVE this. I prefer just frozen green beans instead of mixed veggies.
Kristi Winkels, RDN, LD says
Thanks so much for taking the time to rate and comment! Glad you like it! And, yes, using just green beans works well, too! 👍
Nicholas says
I tried this recipe for the first time with my girlfriend. We used ground turkey and made our own broth for the dish. It turned out absolutely wonderful! It’s a must try! The prep was not very hard at all. The cook time did feel like a while so make sure you start the process well in advance so you don’t end up like us (very hungry) while you wait!
Kristi Winkels, RDN, LD says
I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing your comment and rating!