Winter Carnival: What happened to the hotdish!

If you’re looking to fill your stomach at the Hotdish Tent that has been part of the Winter Carnival the past couple of years, you will be disappointed. There will be no tent serving that mouthwatering Minne-sota delicacy at the 2009 festival.

But there’s no need to go hotdishless when you can make your own!

Here are the recipes for Tater Tots Hotdish, which was served in last year’s tent by Kane’s Catering, and from the three finalists in last year’s Hotdish Challenge.

TATER TOTS HOTDISH

Recipe submitted by Jerry Kane, Kane’s Catering, St. Paul.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

1/2 cup diced green peppers

1/2 cup sliced button mushrooms

1 tablespoon McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning

1 pinch dried thyme leaves (or fresh, if available)

1 pinch ground black pepper

1 pinch granulated garlic or garlic powder

1 pound ground beef

1 can (family-size) Campbell’s Mushroom Soup

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 bag (2 pounds) Ore-Ida Tater Tots

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

To assemble meat mixture: In large saucepan, heat oil. Add onion, peppers, mushrooms, steak seasoning, thyme, pepper and garlic. Sweat vegetables over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add ground beef. Heat until beef is thoroughly cooked. Remove from heat. Drain any excess liquid. Add mushroom soup. Return to heat. Add cream. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour into 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

To crisp Tater Tots: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread Tater Tots on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until crispy. (Note: Crisping is optional, but it helps Tater Tots retain their shape when combined in hotdish.) Add Tater Tots and cheese to meat mixture. (Or layer Tater Tots and cheese over meat mixture.)

To bake hotdish: Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees.

MEXICAN-STYLE CHICKEN & QUINOA HOTDISH WITH SMOKY CHIPOTLE FLAVOR

Recipe submitted by Susan Jacenko of Plymouth.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use

1/2 cup diced red onion

1 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup smoky chipotle salsa (she uses Trader Joe’s)

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles, divided use

1/2 cup dry quinoa (prepared according to package with 1 cup chicken broth)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 cooked chicken (diced or shredded)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt

Garnishes:

Shredded cheese

Diced red onion

Avocado

Sour cream

To saute onion and garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute until slightly tender. Remove from pan.

To assemble: Add remaining olive oil to pan. Add flour. Whisk until smooth. Add salsa and liquid from diced tomatoes. Heat, whisking, until slightly thickened. Add onion and garlic mixture, tomatoes, quinoa, cumin, lime juice, chicken and cheese. Add salt to taste. Transfer to 2-quart casserole.

To bake: Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove cover. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven. Let stand for 10 minutes. Top with any combination of garnishes.

VULCAN-HOT PEKING CHICKEN HOTDISH

Recipe submitted by Kelly Kimble of Greenwood, Minn. “This Minnesota twist on a Chinese dish will warm you up from your nose to your toes after a long day of medallion hunting!” Kimble says.

1 cup uncooked white rice

1 can golden mushroom soup, undiluted

1 1/4 cups water

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

Sauce:

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/2 tablespoon red-pepper flakes

Topping:

1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

To assemble and bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In 9-by-13-inch baking dish, combine rice, soup and water. Top with peppers, onions and chicken. Cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes.

To make sauce and bake: Whisk together cornstarch and soy sauce. Add hoisin sauce, rice vinegar and red-pepper flakes. Pour over hotdish. Sprinkle with peanuts. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

MY BROTHER JOHN’S FAVORITE HOTDISH

Recipe submitted by Maria Zenk of Danube, Minn.

1 1/2 pounds extra-lean ground beef

1 large onion, diced

1 can (4 ounces) mushroom pieces

Salt to taste

Ground pepper to taste

1 1/2 pounds angel-hair pasta, broken into pieces and cooked al dente

10 slices bacon, fried and broken into bite-sized pieces

2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed under cool running water

1 bottle pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced

1/2 pound of cubed American cheese

2 cans tomato soup

1 can water

To prepare oven and baking dish: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat 8-cup-capacity, oven-safe glass casserole dish with vegetable spray. Set aside.

To assemble: Brown ground beef and diced onion. Add drained mushrooms. Heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In large bowl, toss together cooked pasta, bacon, peas, olives and cheese. Fold in ground beef mixture. Mix together soup and water. Stir into pasta mixture.

To bake: Place mixture into prepared casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or bubbly and crusty on top.

Copyright 2009 Pioneer Press.