Midwest Turkey Hot Dish

Versions of “hot dish” (casserole) are found all over the upper Midwest, and are a comfort food of the first order. They were often one of the first types of recipes kids learned to make on their own, since the original format generally called for a pound of ground meat, a can of condensed soup, and a can of mixed vegetables. It only takes a little longer to cook the veggies from scratch, and we think it’s well worth it.

As featured in The Applegatarian.

Serves 4-6 | Total Time: More Than 60 Mins

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 (16-ounce) package APPLEGATE ORGANICS® Turkey Burgers
1 cup frozen peas
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
⅔ cup milk
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 (32-ounce) package frozen potato tots
Chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a shallow 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine the olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, and frozen turkey burgers in a large heavy skillet. Cook over moderately-high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the burgers with a wooden spoon, until the meat is cooked through and vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, then add the frozen peas and season lightly with salt and pepper.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together the soup and milk until smooth. Pour over the meat mixture and stir gently to combine. Pour evenly into the baking dish.
Scatter the shredded cheese over the meat mixture. Arrange the frozen potato tots in a single layer over the cheese, completely covering the mixture (you may not use all of the tots).
Bake until the potato tots are crisp and golden and the mixture is bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, then sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve hot.