High. Protein. Hot. Dish.
PLUS the produce savers I'm completely obsessed with.
Hot dish was the “it-girl” of the Great Depression. Still to this day, she’s a thrifty-but-crowd-pleasing staple of every Midwestern potluck. What better time than NOW to bring her back?? For my fellow Californians who may be unfamiliar, Wikipedia defines the classic as:
“A hotdish (or hot dish) is a casserole that typically contains a starch, a meat, and a canned or frozen vegetable mixed with canned soup. The dish originates in the Upper Midwest region of the United States, where it remains popular, particularly in Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Montana.”
My version is somewhat left-of-center from the original. Frozen ingredients? Yes. Starch? Yes. Meat? Yes. Canned Soup? … not this time. I have nothing against canned soup per se, but it’s unlikely that I will ever consistently stock Cream of Mushroom in my pantry. I guess I also wanted a version that tasted a little lighter. A little fresher. This recipe is also a fantastic example of why keeping a sandwich bag of leftover shredded rotisserie in one’s freezer is so important (same goes for my sandwich baggie of frozen rice). The result is cheesy, tangy, comforting, and wholly satisfying.
High Protein Hot Dish
Ingredients:
1-2 cups shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1-2 cups frozen broccoli
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar + 1 cup to top it off
Handful of seasonal fresh herbs (Basil, flat leaf parsley, or cilantro)
Juice of half a lemon
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup greek yogurt
Butter
Big pinch of Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash and dry your herbs. Blend herbs, garlic, Greek yogurt, juice of half a lemon, and pinch of salt with an immersion blender or traditional blender.
Microwave your frozen broccoli a minute less than the instructions on the bag. Remove from microwave and finely dice.
If using frozen leftover rice, cover with damp paper towel and microwave for 2 min. If using microwavable rice, cook according to instructions.
In a big bowl, combine diced broccoli, shredded chicken, cooked rice, yogurt sauce you just made, 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, and cottage cheese. Mix with wooden spoon until evenly combined. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.
Butter the bottom and sides of a cast iron skillet or other oven-safe baking dish of your choice. Dump contents of your bowl into dish and gently press until evenly distributed in dish.
Top generously with more extra-sharp cheddar cheese.
Bake covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for another 30 minutes, or until the top is browned and the sides are bubbling.
Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.
P.S. That yogurt sauce you just made in the above recipe is delicious all on its own. I like to serve it with roasted salmon, a fresh rotisserie chicken, or use it as a flavorful swoop underneath roasted veggies of any kind.
Can we please discuss produce storage?
I thought I had it down pretty well before, with my wash, dry, and store in a bag with a damp paper towel method. It served me… well enough! But that method is nothing compared to the freshness and longevity I get from OXO Good Grips Produce Savers. This isn’t even sponsored!!!
You need to know: yes, they are big. They take up a good bit of refrigerator space. But I find it completely worth it, because my cucumbers lasted more than two weeks in there. I had mint in the herb saver version that was going strong for multiple weeks, too. I’ve used all of my spinach before it goes bad EVERY TIME since investing in these. They’re also really easy to wash, and I hate washing dishes.
Now that strawberries are in season, I IMPLORE YOU to invest in these savers so that you can enjoy every last bite.
Happy cooking!
xx Mary