"Taconite Tater Tot Hotdish" by Senator Amy Klobuchar

It was sad to see Amy Klobuchar’s exit from the 2020 Democratic race for President for many reasons — mostly because she contributed a recipe to the world while she was running for President. I usually find recipes from the 1960s, the 1980s, or buried deep within niche cookbooks, but Aunt Amy brought congressional recipes to the forefront of our minds. This recipe was even featured in The New York Times!

But those hard-nosed journalists didn’t have the stomach or the funding to make this hefty meal. I did, and the result is breathtaking: Senator Amy Klobuchar’s Taconite Tater Tot Hotdish.

Chef Amy Klobuchar

Democratic Senator from Minnesota

As always, I followed the recipe word for word from the 2020 New Hampshire Primary bronze medalist, no alterations:

INGREDIENTS

1-1.5 pounds of ground beef

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of chicken

A couple cloves of garlic

8-12 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese

1 package of tater tots

Salt

Pepper

1 small onion

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Brown the ground beef, then drain off the fat.

2) Sauté the onions and garlic.

As you know from previous recipes here at Cookin’ with Congress, I love a surprise, and most congressional chefs don’t disappoint. Many ingredients don’t get listed, but pop up once you get into the making of the dish. This time, it’s oil. You need a tiny bit of oil here with all the fat drained off.

3) In a large bowl, mix together beef, onions, garlic, both cans of soup, salt and pepper.

If you’re thinking the dish title is referencing “taco night“ as in, “Hey kids, it’s Tuesday night, which means it’s Taco night! We are going eat beef tacos! Get the beef!” you are wrong. It’s actually referring to a low-grade iron ore, taconite, once considered waste rock. Must be a Minnesota thing. This does not seem like a waste-based dish to me so far.

4) Spread evenly into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with about 1/2 the shredded cheese, then place tater tots in one layer over the entire pan.

You can float the tater tots militaristically or artistically; all lined up in a row or randomly plopped over the thick chicken slop. I chose the latter, mostly because the package of tots I chose (since there was no recommended ounce requirement) would not have covered the dish in perfect columns.

5) Bake at 450 for 30 minutes, or until tater tots are crisp. Cover with remaining cheese and bake until cheese melts.

You won’t need much time for cheese to melt in a 450-degree oven. Two to three minutes until the cheese on top of the tater tots on top of the cheese has melted.

Taconite!

The final product isn’t quite as clean as I would’ve hoped, but that’s what you get whenever there are no measurements for the tots. However, it came out smelling divine. I’ve never refused two layers of cheese, and this would not be the first occasion. I do understand the iron-ore waste rock analogy now, as this dish is quite filling; dense with heavy cream and a farm’s worth of meat, this could feed a family of Scandinavians in winter no problem. I also more fully understand the meaning of “hotdish,” as this is certainly a dish, and it holds its high temperature right out of the oven.

Verdict:

This was seriously good and seriously dense, like a neutron star made of fat. It could use some hot sauce on top, but other than that….no complaints about this Minnesota heavyweight.