Tim Walz's Turkey Trot Tater-Tot Hotdish

 

By now you're probably familiar with the Minnesotan delicacy: the Hotdish. It's a cream-based casserole topped with tater tots! This is one of Walz's award winning recipes that I am making for the Vice Presidential debate tonight.

Tim Walz's Turkey Trot Tater-Tot Hotdish

Slightly adapted from Tim Walz

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey

1 lb. fresh green beans, diced

1.5 cups (about 4 oz.) chopped baby bella mushrooms

1/2 cup green onion, chopped (most of one bunch)

1/4 cup diced onion

4 slices of bacon

2.5 cups whole milk

1/2 cup half & half

3 cups (12 oz.) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided

32 oz. package frozen tater tots

1 clove garlic, minced

1 egg

1/2 tsp. sage

1 Tbs. olive oil

4 Tbs. butter

5 Tbs. flour

2 tsp. salt, divided

1 tsp. pepper, divided

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375F. Set a large pot to boil filled 2/3rds with water.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat.

3. In a medium bowl, combine turkey, garlic, sage, green onions, egg, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cook in skillet until well done. Place in a 9"x13" baking dish.

4. Prepare an ice-water bath in a medium bowl. Blanch the green beans by cooking in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then plug in ice-water bath. Once cooled, drain and add to baking dish.

5. In the large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Leave bacon grease behind in pan.  Chop bacon small, and add to the baking dish.

6. Reheat the large skillet with the bacon fat on medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté gently until well browned. Add to the baking dish.

7. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk flour into the butter. Cook for 2 minutes, then slowly whisk in milk and half & half. Cook for 2 more minutes, then add diced onion and remaining 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cook for another minute, then stir in 2.5 cups of cheese, reserving 1/2 a cup for later. Whisk until cheese is completely melted and incorporated.

8. Pour cheese sauce over ingredients in the baking dish. Mix ingredients in baking dish together well.

9. Top dish with an even layer of tater tots and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

10. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Meatloaf Formula

This is one of the first things I learned how to cook post-vegetarianism. It's easy, delicious, and highly flexible.

This recipe scales well to a 1/2 recipe using: 2 lbs. meat, 2 eggs, and half of all other ingredients (including the sauce) & a 1 hour cook time. A full recipe is a quite large, so I recommend starting with a half.

Meatloaf Formula

makes 12 meal-sized servings

Ingredients:

Loaf:
3-4 lbs. ground meat*
0-3 cups vegetables, diced small**
6 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 cups grains***
3 eggs

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 Tbs. herbs and spices****
8-16 oz. cheese***** (optional for cheese-stuffed)

Sauce:
1/2 cup onion puree (~1 onion)
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup mustard
1/4 cup sweetener (honey, agave, maple syrup)
1/4 cup hot sauce (sriracha, valentina's)
4 Tbs. tomato paste

Pan:

vegetables for bottom of roasting pan******

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375F.
2. Combine ground meat, diced vegetables, garlic, grains, eggs, s&p and herbs/spices. Combine well with hands or sturdy wooden spoon.
3. In a 11" x 9" pan (large roasting pan) spread Pan vegetables to cover bottom of pan.
4. Dump meatloaf mix onto counter.
- If stuffing with cheese: flatten into a rectangle shorter than long side of pan, 1" thick. Place cheese filling in the middle, and gently roll up sides of  loaf and pinch seam together. Carefully transfer to pan, flipping so seam side is down.
- If NOT stuffing with cheese: form loaf that is several inches shorter than long side of pan.

5. Make sure the meatloaf is centered in the pan, not touching any of the sides. This will create better texture on the meatloaf and prevent sticking to the pan. Flatten the top to give maximum surface area for the sauce.

6. Combine all sauce ingredients. Pour over loaf, trying to keep sauce from dripping over side of loaf and down onto pan.
7. Cook for 1.5-2 hours, until internal temperature reads 165F. Let rest 10-15 minutes before cutting into after taking out of oven.

* Ground Meat Examples:
- Traditional: 2-3 lbs. ground beef + 1 lb. ground pork
- Premium: 2-3 lbs. ground bison + 1 lb. lardons
- Poultry: 2-3 lbs. ground turkey + 1 lb. bacon

** Loaf Vegetable Examples:

Vegetables need to be diced very fine so they don't compromise the structural integrity of the meatloaf. I recommend using raw veggies but you can use cooked.
- Traditional: 1 onion + 1 green bell pepper
- Summer Garden: 1 cup shredded & squeezed zucchini + 1 cup onion + 1 cup shredded kale

*** Grain Examples:
- Traditional: oats (any) or bread-crumbs
- Alternatives: rice, barley, quinoa

**** Herb & Spice examples:
- Traditional: Italian seasoning
- Indian: garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, toasted cumin and mustard seeds
- French: oregano, rosemary, thyme

***** Cheese examples:

- Cheddar, mozzarella, herbed goat cheese log, brie chopped with cranberries, cream cheese mixed with chopped pecans

****** Pan Vegetables:

You want, at minimum, a thin layer of veg at the bottom to prevent burning and sticking of the meatloaf to the pan. The meatloaf drippings also make the vegetables delicious. You can go heavy here on the veg though if you'd like it to be a built-in side dish. Do not slice or chop your veg too small, as the meatloaf has a long cook time and you may run the risk of burn and over cooked veggies.

- minimum; 2 lbs. onion, cut into big slices/wedges/half moons or large diced

- heavy: 5 lbs. potatoes, large cubed and 2 lbs. onions