Can Al Franken Beat Amy Klobuchar’s…Hotdish?

Minnesota politicians have decided to tackle what really matters – whose Hot Dish is the best?

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and Representatives Michele Bachmann, Betty McCollum, Keith Ellison and Tim Walz competed in the “Minnesota Congressional Delegation 2011 Hot Dish Off.”

Ummm…..fancy name for “My Mamma’s Tuna Noodle Can Beat Your Grandma’s Tator Tot!”

Many cans of Cream of Mushroom soup later, it turned out no one could beat Amy Klobuchar’s “Taconite Tater Tot Hot Dish”.

“Given the fine quality of the other hot dishes, this is truly an honor,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “I think the combination of the tater tots, pepper jack cheese, and unique taconite hot dish name gave us the edge.”

Check out all the recipes.

Sen. Klobuchar's (Winning) Taconite Tater Tot Hot Dish

Recipe:
- Ground beef (1-1.5 lbs)
- Cream of mushroom (1 can)
- Cream of chicken (1 can)
- Onions (1 small)
- Garlic (couple cloves)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Pepper jack cheese, shredded (8-12 ounces)
- Tater tots (1 package)

Preparation
1. Brown ground beef, drain off fat. Sautee onions and garlic.
2. In a large bowl, mix together beef, onions, garlic, both cans of soup, salt and pepper. Spread evenly into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with about half of the shredded cheese.
3. Place tater tops in one layer over the entire pan.
4. Bake at 450 for 30 minutes, or until tater tots are crisp. Cover with remaining cheese and bake until cheese melts.