RECIPES: Bachmann's 'SW Metro Hotdish' Can’t Win MN Delegation Hotdish Event

Sixth District Rep. Michele Bachmann struck out again in the Third Annual Minnesota Delegation Hotdish Competition.

Rep. Tim Walz's "Hermann the Germann Hotdish" won this year’s friendly “friendly, bipartisan, and bicameral ‘Hot Dish Off.’” The competition between Minnesota’s congressional delegation started in 2011 as a way to celebrate Minnesota before the session started.

This year, Bachmann entered a "Southwest Metro Hotdish." Sen. Al Franken cooked “Willmar Stew,” while Sen. Amy Klobuchar prepared “Hormel ‘I Can't Believe It's Not SPAM’ Pepperoni Pizza Hotdish”

Check out the recipes from Bachmann, Walz, Franken and Klobuchar below. Click here for the 2013 recipes from all 10 of Minnesota’s members of Congress.

Past winners

• 2012: Tie between Sen. Al Franken’s “Mom's Mahnomin Madness Hotdish” and Rep. Chip Cravaack’s “Minnesota Wild Strata”
• 2011: First—Sen. Amy Klobuchar won with her “Taconite Tater Tot Hot Dish”; Runner-up—Rep. Tim Walz’s “Chicken Mushroom Wild Rice Hot Dish”

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Rep. Tim Walz's Hermann the German Hotdish

• 1 package of brats
• 1 bottle Schell's beer
• 1 onion
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup of chopped celery
• 1 can cream of cheddar soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cups sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 package tater tots.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add beer, onions and garlic powder. Submerge the brats into the pot and reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 min. Remove and let cool. Butter the casserole dish. Combine remaining ingredients into a separate bowl, minus the tots. Chop up the brats into bite sized pieces and add to the other ingredients. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish, top with tater tots and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with cheese for the last 10-15 mins of baking.

Rep. Michele Bachmann's Southwest Metro Hotdish

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
½ cup sliced jalapeno peppers
½ cup chicken stock
1 pack hot taco seasoning
2 pounds ground chicken
1 can Green Giant sweet corn
2 cans black beans, rinsed
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1.5 tsp cumin powder
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
½ cup Minnesalsa ®
16 oz Land O Lakes® Hot Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
2 pounds tater tots

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix ground chicken, onion, peppers, garlic and taco seasoning in large bowl.
Cook the mixture in a large pan with chicken stock until chicken is cooked all the way through. Add more chicken stock as needed.
Mix sweet corn and black beans into cooked chicken until beans are soft.
In a separate bowl, mix cream of mushroom soup, salsa, cumin and red pepper flakes.
Add the soup mixture to the chicken and stir it in. When finished, pour the chicken mixture into 9" x 13" pan.
Shred the cheese and put layer of cheese over the chicken, followed by the tater tots.
Bake for 50 minutes. Serve hot.
Optional: Garnish with cilantro, queso fresco and Sriracha

Sen. Al Franken's Willmar Stew

This is a hearty meal, just the right dish to serve with salad, beer, bread, and a Vikings game.

• 5 or 7 quart dutch oven
• 2 lbs Cannelini beans, soaked over night
• 2 Jennie-O turkey thighs (can substitute 4 duck legs, 4 pheasant legs/thighs)
• 1 lb pork shoulder roast cut into 1" cubes
• 4 pork sausages
• 1 lb thick bacon cut into 1" cubes
• 3 TBS butter
• 3 TBS olive oil
• 1 large onion cut into 1/2" pieces
• 3 carrots cut into 1/2" pieces
• 3 stalks celery cut into 1/2' piece
• 1 whole garlic head, peeled into individual cloves and slices in halves
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley or equivalent
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme or equivalent
• 3 TBS tomato paste
• 1 to 1 & 1/2 cups peeled tomatoes with liquid, cut into quarters
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Optional: paprika and cayenne pepper
• 2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
• 6 TBS butter

Soak the beans overnight in water, about 2" above beans. Drain, reserving any left over liquid. Set aside. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Prep your meat and vegetable as above. Set aside. Place dutch oven on top of stove. Add 3 TBS butter and 3 TBS in pot. Brown turkey. Set aside. Brown pork shoulder cubes in same fat. Set aside. Drain some of the fat and set aside. Brown pork sausages. Set aside. Render bacon. Set aside. If too much fat has accumulated, pour some off at any time but retain for assembling dish. Put all meats, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and seasonings in same fat mixture. Stir and cook on medium high heat for 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and tomatoes and beans. Add water until ingredients are covered. Bring to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pot and place in oven at 400 degrees. Cook for 1 to 1 & 1/2 hours, until beans are tender. Check pot after 45 minutes in case mixture is dry so you can add water. When done, add the paprika and cayenne to taste.
6. Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Add bread crumbs in two batches, otherwise they will be soggy. Sprinkle 1 cup bread crumbs drizzled with 3 TBS melted butter. Put in oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Take pot out and press breadcrumbs into stew. Add the other cup of bread crumbs and 3 more TBS melted butter. Turn oven on broil and brown breadcrumbs for 5 to 7 minutes. Your dish is now ready to serve.

* as adapted from The Amateur Gourmet, Cassoulet in 10 Easy Steps

Sen. Amy Klobuchar's Hormel "I Can't Believe It's Not SPAM" Pepperoni Pizza Hotdish

• 2 cups sliced Hormel Pepperoni
• 2 pounds hamburger meat
• 1 box Ronzoni rotini pasta
• 1/2 large yellow onion
• 10 1/2 oz can Del Monte pizza sauce
• 15 oz can Del Monte tomato sauce
• 1 cup Kemps milk
• 4 cloves of crushed garlic
• 4 oz Land O' Lakes Mozzarella cheese
• 4 oz Land 0' Lakes 4 Cheese Italian blend
• Oregano, Basil, Italian Seasoning, Salt, Pepper

In a large bowl, combine hamburger meat, diced onion, and crushed garlic. Mix with hands. Add oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.
Brown the meat, then add 1 cup of pepperoni, tomato sauce, and pizza sauce.
Cook pasta for less time than indicated on the box to prevent noodles from becoming mushy. Drain the pasta, then slowly add the milk and mozzarella cheese. Combine the two mixtures in 9x13 inch pan. Add the Italian cheese and pepperoni. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and cook for 15 more minutes.