The Hotdish Recipe That Won Tim Walz An Award

Even with the short election cycle, you surely know by now that Minnesota governor Tim Walz is the current Democratic candidate for Vice President, serving as Kamala Harris' running mate. What you can be forgiven for not knowing is that he's also an award-winning cook. 

His recipe for "Turkey Taco" hotdish won a cook-off that was put on by then-Senator Al Franken in 2016. This recipe plays with Americanized taco ingredients such as seasoned ground meat, taco sauce, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, corn, sour cream, and other accompaniments. If you want to try this one yourself, it was published online via the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association. 

So not only is Tim Walz a seasoned politician, but apparently he's an enthusiastic Midwestern home cook, too. We won't know if Walz will serve as the Vice President until November's election results are tallied, but in the meantime, he may have solved tonight's dinner issue. It's not often you can say that a politician helped come up with your dinner!

Turns out Tim Walz is prolific with his hotdish recipes. Walz posted a recipe to social media platform X earlier this year, so if you want to try your hand at cooking like a Minnesota governor, now's your chance.

Minnesota is *the top* turkey-producing state in the nation. Fun fact.

And you can eat it year round. Here's one of my family's recipes: pic.twitter.com/X6hHzD3zs8

— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) August 9, 2024

The recipe was for his family's Turkey Trot Hotdish, which is a not-so-subtle nod to the fact that Minnesota is the top turkey-producing state in the U.S. It covers all the basic Midwestern food groups, too, with veggies, meat, dairy in the form of cheese and milk, and starch in the form of potatoes. But if you're not from the Midwest, you might be wondering what the heck hotdish actually is, since it's not a dinner served widely across the U.S.

Hotdish is a casserole affectionately thought of as Minnesota's unofficial state dish. It's known for its distinctive topping of frozen tater tots, which are usually evenly placed on top before it's baked. You can think of it sort of like a spiritual cousin to shepherd's pie, since it's also got a base that's topped with some form of potatoes. And when it comes to the fillings, your imagination's your only limit, though almost all hotdish recipes involve the use of a thick canned soup as a base for a binding sauce, such as cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup.

Speaking of canned soup, Walz's Turkey Trot Hotdish is notable in that it doesn't feature canned soup, opting for a more homespun preparation (aside from the tater tots). This makes it a bit more homey as a hotdish, and no doubt provides a winning edge over an all-dump casserole.