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Rep. Chip Cravaack's prize-winning hotdish.

WASHINGTON - Amid the partisan bickering in the nation's capital, Minnesota's Republicans and Democrats took a few minutes Wednesday to celebrate one piece of their state's heritage they could all agree on: hotdish.

Eight of Minnesota's 10 person Congressional delegation took part in the 2nd Annual "Hotdish Off" hosted by DFL Sen. Al Franken in a Capitol Hill conference room. Reps. John Kline and Betty McCollum didn't participate.

Former Minnesota Congressman and Republican strategist Vin Weber and House Chaplain Patrick Conroy judged the eight entries, none of which could be remotely described as health food. Franken and first-term Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack both placed first, a decision that prompted good-natured cries of "Recount!" from some members of the crowd, in a nod to the lengthy recount Franken faced before joining the Senate in 2009.

Franken's entry was called Sen. Franken's Mom's Mahnomin Madness Hotdish and included Minnesota-grown Mahnomen rice, turkey, mushrooms, parmesan cheese and gravy.

Cravaack's Minnesota Wild Strata included french bread, a dozen eggs, nearly a pound of cheddar cheese, pork sausage and wild rice grown by the Fon Du Lac Chippewa band from Cravaack's district.

• Loaf of French bread, sliced and cubed

• 15 ounces of extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

• 2 pounds of ground pork sausage, browned and drained

• 1 (10.75 ounces) can cream of Mushroom soup

1. Place French bread in a well greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.  Mix eggs, three cups milk and dry mustard together.  Carefully pour over bread. Sprinkle cheese, sausage and wild rice over bread.

2. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.  Before baking, mix cream of mushroom soup and 1 cup milk together and spread over bread mixture.

3. Bake covered at 375 degrees for one hour.  Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

*The rice was produced by the Fon Du Lac Band of Chippewa, and aside from the eggs, all the ingredients were organic.

Sen. Franken's Mom's Mahnomin Madness Hotdish

• 2 cans (8 ounces each) of water chestnuts, drained, then sliced into quarter-inch rounds

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (diluted with 1/2 cup of water)

2. Put the rice in a pot, and cover with 3 inches of water. Boil in a pot, uncovered, for about 20 to 25 minutes. If you're using Mahnomen wild rice, it will cook more quickly than the paddy variety.

3. While the rice is boiling, slice (do not mince) the mushrooms, onions, garlic, and celery.

4. Melt the butter in a skillet, and sauté the onions, garlic, and celery until they begin to bleed a little liquid into the butter. Then add the mushrooms. The celery and onions should not be totally soft.

5. Once the rice has cooked, drain it and add to the sautéed vegetables.

6. Add pulled turkey and gravy, water chestnuts.

7. Place mixture in casserole dish, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and place in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until top is browned and hot dish is heated through.

Politics and Government News

Capitol View®

Brett Neely

Author

A Senator and House member and a Republican and Democrat share the hotdish prize.

Cravaack and Franken claim congressional hotdish crown

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