The most important thing to know about Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is that he was the winningest cook (3 time champion) in the Minnesota Congressional hotdish competition. Hotdish is a form of tater tot casserole popular in Minnesota, usually built around tater tots, ground beef, and cream of mushroom soup.
Tim Walz's recipe has some complexities for a recipe that is usually closer to "dump 3-6 things in a pan and bake," but roughly half of it amounts to "make your own cream of mushroom soup instead of using a can of condensed soup." He just makes it in several steps and layers rather than making soup as such.
Having made my own cream of whatever soups for casseroles and pot pies, let me tell you, it makes a world of difference. Even if you do a lousy job, homemade soup will distinguish your dish. Just simmering together broth and sour cream will produce something with a better, more complex flavor than canned soup, although canned soup is great to have available for times when you don't want to make your own broth.
Homemade cream of whatever soup also lets you customize to your needs. Canned soups often have lots of salt, which you may not want. You may want cream of something other than mushroom, and while my local store has a half-dozen cream of whatever soups, you can make exactly what you want at home. Vegan? Coconut cream of whatever soup. Go for your favorite seasonings and vegetables. Make it thinner or thicker.
I will also advocate homemade broth. Have a freezer bag on hand when cooking, save the snippings, and simmer them to make a gallon of broth every few weeks. It freezes well, and a good broth can be a soup on its own.
