Ring Bologna Hotdish Recipe
The ingredients are simple and shouldn’t taste this good together – but they do. I am pleased to present my all-time favorite hotdish recipe to you: Ring bologna hotdish!
I couldn’t call myself a true Minnesotan without having one or two solid hotdish recipes up my sleeve.
Today I’m sharing the hotdish recipe that is nearest and dearest to my heart. One that my family has been making for decades.
What Is Hotdish?
If you’re not familiar, “hotdish” encompasses a range of oven-baked dishes, mostly pasta or rice-based. You may call it casserole where you’re from.
Hotdish can contain various types of meat and vegetables, often flavored with canned soups. Hotdishes show up en masse at church potlucks here in the Midwest.
Love hotdish? Check out these 30+ hotdish recipes!
About The Recipe: Ring Bologna Hotdish
This hotdish recipe is one my mom has been making for decades. Is it the best hotdish recipe ever? I think so, and I urge you to try and see for yourself!
There’s nothing fancy or complicated about it. It’s a hearty weeknight meal that will easily feed five.
We love the ring bologna in this hotdish. Ring bologna makes this hotdish recipe super quick to make because it’s fully cooked and ready to cut up and add to the recipe.
You can use either traditional ring bologna or turkey ring bologna – both taste great in this dish.
You could also use similar sausages like polska kielbasa or smoked sausage. Just be sure to look for the fully-cooked ring-shaped meat selection in the grocery store.
A Note About The Sweetener
The hotdish has a subtle sweetness due to the creamed corn and sugar.
Please note: The sugar is totally optional. You do not have to add it to the recipe. This is the way my family has always made it and enjoyed it – but I fully realize that not everyone likes the sweeter take on savory recipes like many of us do in the Midwest.
Hotdish is perfect for the colder months of the year, when it feels good to pre-preheat your oven to keep the kitchen extra toasty warm.
If you’re cooking for a large group and looking for something that doesn’t cost a lot, hotdishes are your golden ticket. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family has over the years!
More Ring Bologna Recipes
I like cooking with ring bologna because it’s pre-cooked and can quickly be added to all types of recipes.
Try grilling it! Grilled vegetable and ring bologna kebabs
Make this ring bologna and sweet corn fried rice
Combine with Brussels sprouts: Maple-roasted ring bologna and brussels sprouts
Add it to meaty baked beans: Potluck-perfect baked beans
More Hotdish Recipes
If you’re looking for more budget-friendly Midwestern hotdish recipes, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of my family’s favorite hotdish recipes:
- Chow mein noodle hotdish
- Three-bean hotdish
- Pizza hotdish
- Crab rangoon hotdish
- Tuna noodle hotdish
- Cheesy corn hotdish
- Chicken broccoli hotdish
- Tater tot hotdish
- Simple hamburger hotdish
- Thanksgiving leftover hotdish
Also, I’ve compiled a list of 30+ hotdish recipes for even more hotdish inspiration!
Ring Bologna Hotdish
If you're looking for a healther version of this hotdish, substitute whole wheat pasta and turkey sausage. My favorite way to eat this hotdish is with a generous splash of hot sauce.
Ingredients
- 10 ounce package egg noodles
- 1 can creamed corn (15 ounces)
- 3 cans cream of mushroom soup (10 3/4 ounces each)
- 1/2 cup whole milk or half-and-half
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- 13 ounce package ring bologna
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Cook noodles according to package instructions to al dente. Don't overcook the noodles because they will continue to cook in the oven. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.
- Pour noodles into a large mixing bowl. Cut ring bologna into 1/2 inch coins. Combine corn, soup, milk, sugar, salt and pepper. Add corn mixture to pasta. Add ring bologna. Place pasta in casserole dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
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Does anybody eat anything anymore at anytime without ANY sugar???????
Made as stated in recipe and it was sweet, sweet, sweet, why the sugar? All I taste is sweetness and cream style corn. Would not make this again. Trying to figure out what I could put in to change the taste.
Thanks for your comment. I’m going to change that sugar to “optional” in the recipe. That’s how my mom always made it, but I understand that it may be too sweet for many (or most?) people. Maybe just try it without sugar the next time… can’t really think of what else to add to make it more flavorful (although fresh mushrooms are coming to mind… or truffle oil, if you happen to have some of that on hand). Sorry it didn’t work out for you!
Well Haley I made this today for my family who are all Minnesotans and they loved it! The hot sauce idea was perfect! thanks! I am keeping this recipe since there were no leftovers! 🙂
This makes me so happy! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
I remember my North Dakota mom making this when I was a kid. I was in the grocery store last week and spotted the ring baloney and remembered that….so I bought it. I didn’t remember the complete recipe. I was so pleasantly surprised when I Googled for the recipe, yours was the only one that had the ingredients I remembered. I guess it isn’t only the North Dakotians that put sugar in about everything. I have a deviled egg recipe that everyone says they are the best eggs they have ever eaten and when I tell them that it is the sugar in the filling, they just can’t believe how sugar makes such a difference.
So glad to hear this, Carol! I think sugar can make all the difference… I get a lot of comments on various dishes saying that the recipe was too sweet and that next time, they’re going to make it without sugar. But I think it can make a dish. And btw, I add sugar to my deviled eggs too!
I’m a southern girl so I know nothing about hotdishes, but sugar is absolutley a useful ingredient in most recipes. It’s 2 flippin tablespoons, not a cup! I do know we have Boar’s Head ring bologna and it’s fantastic and definitely NOT cheap. Creamed corn is sweet, so if that’s not your cup of tea, sub some kind of bean(kidneys are good) or cabbage. Make it your own!
Thanks for the comment! I wish I knew more about Southern cooking. And this is a great dish to introduce to “Northern” cooking 🙂
Wonder if you cook and peel bologna before cutting and putting in the hot dish?
I use the pre-cooked bologna/kielbasa. And I don’t peel mine.
When I make this and put it in a casserole dish and bake it should I leave it covered or uncovered while it is baking?
I would leave it uncovered. I like the a crusty top layer!
Made this today. Left out the sugar
Being a dental assistant, I just don’t add alot of extra sugar when cooking.
It was great. Will make again.
I made this a few days ago and it was delicious
It tastes very old fashioned and I mean that in the best possible way
Even if you’ve never had this dish before it tastes like something you would have eaten at a church potluck when you were nine years old
Pure nostalgic comfort food
Will definitely be making this again
Awesome! So glad you liked it, Brian. Glad it brought you back to old-fashioned church potluck days 🙂
Can I use 1% milk if that is all I have??
Yes, absolutely.
How much hot sauce ? And when do you add it? Thanks
Disgusting! 3 cans of Cream of Mushroom is way to much. Tossed it in the trash.
Hi I wonder if I added a small can of sauerkraut if that would taste good?!? Any thoughts?
Interesting thought. I am a sauerkraut lover and I don’t think it sounds good… if you try it, I would make a small serving just to try it before adding sauerkraut to the whole dish. Let me know if you try it!
Hi .I was chuckling to myself reading the comments,I play cooking games and folks are always redoing the recipes (and then complaining)or complaining of a major ingredient ,it’s frustrating to say the least but you have a good site keep up the good work
I appreciate your comment, Dienia!
Personally I would cook the sauerkraut with onions and the bologna itself, chop finely so it evens out in the dish, also drop 2 cans of cream of mushroom add 2 cups heavy cream, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano or basil(up to you), couple dashes or Worcestershire and maybe a roux for thickener, and top it when served with a sliver of thousand island dressing and your golden or IMO add the thousand right to it.
Will I need a 9×13 pan or can I get away with 8×11?
Hi Lisa – 8 x 11-inches should work. Or if you have a casserole dish or ovenproof Pyrex bowl – many options!
Fussy husband – We’ll have to substitute a different cream suit he doesn’t like cream of mushroom maybe cream of celery and cream of potato. I’m going to try it and I’ll let you know
For everyone and anyone complaining about the sweetness of this dish because of the addition of the sugar? The recipe says that sugar is OPTIONAL!!!. READ BEFORE YOU COMPLAIN!!!!.
Ha, thank you Deborah! Yes, the sugar is totally optional. I’d recommend tasting the unbaked dish to see if you want a little extra sweetness or not.