American restaurant in UK

I didn't know about anything called Tater Tot Hot Dish either! I only know one person who ate something like that and he thought he invented it! He called his Tater Tot Casserole. Either way, it sounds pretty awful! 

I didn't know about anything called Tater Tot Hot Dish either! I only know one person who ate something like that and he thought he invented it! He called his Tater Tot Casserole. Either way, it sounds pretty awful! 

I think it's probably something one has to grow up with to appreciate. We probably all have a few things that we know are pretty gross but appreciate because we grew up with them. For example, I genuinely prefer chunky Skippy peanut butter to the natural kind even though I know that the natural kind is less gross and I generally prefer less processed versions of other foods. I also prefer Hershey's chocolates to the fancy 60%+ cacao dark chocolate stuff. Just can't get used to the better version.

I <3 American Chop Suey!

I can confirm that a love of hot-dish is something that is developed over years of church pot-lucks and family reunions.

Also, 'hot-dish' is really just a catch-all term, pretty interchangeable with 'casserole.'  So tater-tot casserole/hot-dish is just one type, and I have to admit, not my favorite.  But it's still better than it sounds.  (Pro-tip: Campbell's condensed soup makes anything edible in the Midwest.)

  (Pro-tip: Campbell's condensed soup makes anything edible in the Midwest.)

 

I can confirm that a love of hot-dish is something that is developed over years of church pot-lucks and family reunions.

Also, 'hot-dish' is really just a catch-all term, pretty interchangeable with 'casserole.'  So tater-tot casserole/hot-dish is just one type, and I have to admit, not my favorite.  But it's still better than it sounds.  (Pro-tip: Campbell's condensed soup makes anything edible in the Midwest.)

From my time at university in Minnesota, I can confirm this fact. And the occasional tater-tot hot dish was no bad thing. Recently tried out what was supposed to be "BBQ pulled pork" in Manchester, both the taste and texture were...not quite right.

American chop suey is more Italian than Chinese. Macaroni mixed with tomato soup and a can of stewed tomatoes, chopped up onions, green peppers and celery sauteed with hamburger all mooshed up together. My mother added a spoon full of relish. Even better warmed up the next day  

We always called that Goulash.

We always called that Goulash.

And if you put it in a dish, covered it in cheese and popped it under the grill for a few minutes, you'd have a hot-dish. 

Maybe UKY should have a virtual potluck where we all bring our fave comfort food. 

We always called that Goulash.

My Mom called hamburger, noodles, and canned tomatoes mixed up goulash.  We didn't get fancy by adding onions, green peppers, and celery.  
I remember a friend making hash brown casserole-it had cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese, and hash browns (I'm sure I'm missing some ingredients) and it was really yummy.  
I also recall being really dependent on cake mixes, cool whip,bisquick, canned soup, etc to make meals when I lived in the States.  I don't think I could go back to cooking like that now.  

Tater Tot Casserole, that there is some good eatin'! 

Okay, I've only had it maybe once or twice, but I wouldn't turn down a dish of it. At the same time, I wouldn't pay to eat it in a restaurant either. 

American chop suey - yes we'd have called that goulash in the home where I grew up. Then again, tweak it just a bit, add some extra spice & you could have chili mac! 

My go-to comfort foods - homemade mac & cheese, chicken & noodles served over mashed potatoes, Amish style cinnamon rolls (gooey with LOTS of butter, cinnamon, and lashings of icing, nuts ok too!), chicken-fried steak/chicken/etc with mashies & cream gravy, dessert pies...

Maybe UKY should have a virtual potluck where we all bring our fave comfort food. 

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I'm not averse to casseroles. But I remember at church dinner-on-the-grounds and such there would always be this aunt who would put weird stuff in the casserole. You'd be taking a bite and there would be a black olive or a chunk of artichoke hidden in the goo - some kind of pickled thing or something. Like Shirley McClain from that movie where everyone but Dolly Parton had these Tallulah Bankhead type accents. The one where Julia Roberts gets married and decks the church out in "blush and bashful".

You end up having to prod around in there hunting for a piece of cauliflower.

Hahaha! I love to horrify my DH with stories of 'jello salads' hearkening back to the 1950s I think, that we ate in the Midwest - at church socials, family dinners, etc... I think there's a website out there somewhere with photos devoted to this very thing.

Lime jello with pear halves suspended in it, 'Colby' or 'Longhorn' cheese grated over all the top & embedded in the jello.

Orange jello with grated carrots & chunks of pineapple suspended in the jello.

I'm sure there were others! And you ate these on the plate alongside savouries! 

Oh, god, Jello salad. Blergh. Also, Cool Whip on everything.