Chow Mein Casserole (Minnesota Hotdish)

All these years I had no idea that my mother-in-law's "Chow Mein Casserole" was actually a Chow Mein Hotdish (aka Minnesota Hotdish or Mock Chow Mein). But it makes perfect sense, given where we're from. Being that we're from Winnipeg, which happens to be in the Canadian province of Manitoba, which lies directly above the states of Minnesota and North Dakota, it now makes perfect sense that she'd have a recipe for Minnesota Hotdish in her arsenal.

My mother-in-law passed away when my kids were pretty young, so they never really had the pleasure of enjoying her cooking. I, on the other hand, did and was fortunate enough to get many of her recipes. This Chow Mein Hotdish is one of my husband's faves and a total comfort food for him. It makes a great weeknight dinner!

🥘 Ingredient Notes

Hotdish, the unofficial state cuisine of Minnesota, is a comfort food staple found in households, not just in Minnesota, but across the Upper Midwest United States. Hotdish is a type of casserole that incorporates a mixture of simple, thrifty ingredients and dump and stir method. Being thrifty is the reason it's also referred to as poor man's chow mein. You can read more about the hotdish HERE.

The Anatomy of a Hot Dish:

• Protein: Ground beef (hamburger), shredded chicken, canned tuna
• Vegetables: Canned corn, canned green beans
• Starch: rice, macaroni, mashed potatoes
• Sauce: Canned cream of anything soup: cream of mushroom, cream of celery soup, cream of chicken soup, cheddar
• Crispy Topping: Tater Tots, French’s French Fried Onions, chow mein noodles, crushed potato chips

The only difference is that this Minnesota hot dish calls for celery and onion instead of canned veggies. I usually serve it with mixed vegetables on the side, but you could easily add them to the dish!

📖Variations & Substitutions

• Add-ins - water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, or bean sprouts, fresh mushrooms
• Hamburger - You could also substitute ground turkey or chicken (this will lighten it up as well)
• Rice - You could use white rice, wild rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, or cauliflower rice (to lighten it)
• Soup- you can use cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom. Or if you don't have any canned cream soup on hand, check out my post on how to make a cream-of-anything soup substitute (jump to #17)

🔪How to Make Chow Mein Casserole

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 175 degrees C and spray the inside of a large 3-quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook celery in ½ cup water in microwave (covered) for 4- 5 minutes until soft. Drain off remaining water.

Brown ground beef in a large skillet with chopped onion over medium heat. 

Add celery, tomato soup, mushroom soup, rice, ground beef with onion, and chow mein noodles to a large bowl.

*I find it easier to do this in a separate large bowl, but you could do this right in the casserole dish if you don't want to dirty another bowl

Pour into prepared casserole dish or 13x9 baking dish.

Sprinkle with soy sauce.

*You can add additional soy sauce now or after the dish is cooked

Bake (uncovered) for 20 minutes in preheated oven.

Garnish:

Garnish with additional crunchy chow mein noodles, and soy sauce, and green onions, if desired.

👪 Serving Size

This Chow Mein Noodle Casserole recipe serves 8. However, you can half, or even double or triple the recipe if you're feeding a large family, simply by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. You'll just need a larger (or additional) casserole dishes.

🌡️Storage

Store this Chow Mein Hotdish in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.

It can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed container.

❔ Recipe FAQ's