Why Tater Tot Hotdish Is Minnesota's Beloved Comfort Food

When the temperatures drop and the leaves (and then the flurries) start flying, Minnesotans turn to one cozy dish that warms both the body and the heart. It’s the ultimate comfort food, and it's the one we crave the most in Minnesota.

When it comes to comfort foods, Minnesotans are no slouch. We have a TON of foods that just hit the spot when you need some cheering up, right? But just which comfort food is our favorite these days in the Bold North?

The Survey That Finally Got Minnesota’s Favorite Food Right

Remember a few years ago when a national survey said grape salad was Minnesota's favorite Thanksgiving dish? Yeah, not so much. But this latest survey listing the iconic comfort foods from each state TOTALLY nails it.

ALSO INTERESTING: Minnesota's Spot on the Most Overweight States List Will Definitely Surprise You

The gang over at Taste of Home set out to find the comfort foods that are truly iconic in all 50 U.S. states. They partnered with Reader's Digest and asked cooks across the country to list the foods that define their state. And while some of them were a little surprising to me-- looking at you, Michigan, with your Coney Island Hot Dog favorite comfort food-- the Minnesota entry hit it out of the ballpark (which would be Target Field, of course.)

The Comfort Food Minnesotans Can’t Live Without

So just what IS the comfort food we crave the most in Minnesota? You guessed it: Tater Tot Hotdish!

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Here's how Taste of Home describes our favorite Minnesota dish:

The Land of 10,000 Lakes might have many hot dish recipes, all creamy casseroles baked until golden and bubbly. But the Tater Tot–topped version is the queen of them all.

And that totally makes sense, because what food is more Minnesota than Tater Tot Hotdish?!? Tater Tot Hotdish IS something Minnesotans have been comfort eating for decades now. Heck, when Al Franken was still one of Minnesota's U.S. Senators, he even started the Minnesota Congressional Delegation Hot Dish-Off, spurred by his love of uniquely Minnesota hot dishes.

Tater Tot Hotdish: The Dish That Defines Minnesota Comfort

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BTW, speaking of that contest, before he was elected governor, Tim Walz's Turkey Trot Tater Tot Hotdish won that event several times, and it sounds amazing! You can check out his recipe HERE.

We appear to be the only state where that Minnesota delicacy is the favorite, however. Behind the Cheddar Curtain over in my home state of Wisconsin, their favorite comfort food is fried cheese curds (which also makes sense.) And, down in Iowa, it's the somewhat odd combo of chili and cinnamon rolls, likely popularized by the Great Cinnamon Roll Challenge held at the Iowa State Fair every year.

Now, of course, Tater Tot Hotdish might be our favorite comfort food, but keep scrolling to check out some other foods that are totally Minnesota as well. How many have YOU tried?