Rep. Tim Walz Dominates Al Franken, Michele Bachmann In Epic Nice Time Hotdish Showdown

In a rare diplay of bipartisanship, members of the Minnesota congressional delegation came together Wednesday in the spirit of friendly competition (and knowing that not showing up would be noticed and talked about, which may be the far greater motivation for a Midwesterner) for Sen. Al Franken's fourth annual hotdish cook-off. The press release says Franken "started the friendly 'Hotdish Off' as a way to bring the delegation together and celebrate a Minnesota culinary tradition," although we can't altogether discount the possibility that it is actually a method of gathering intelligence for his lizard-people overlords. Did they explain what this "Hotdish" is? They did not.

The big winner, for the second year in a row, was Rep. Tim Walz with his "Turkey Trot Tater Tot Hotdish," with Sen. Amy Klobuchar's "'It's So Cold My Hotdish Froze' Dessert Hotdish" and Rep. John Kline's "Morning ‘Hot Chow' Hotdish" tied for second. Franken's website has photos of the event and copies of all the participants' recipes, for any of you wishing to add a touch of authenticity to your big St. Olaf's Day party.

There are also a whole bunch of inspiring quotes about hotdish from your favorite Minnesota pols:

• "It's a great day when the Minnesota delegation is able to put our differences aside and enjoy some great hotdishes," said Sen. Franken. "I want to thank all my colleagues for participating in today's competition, and a huge congratulations to Tim for his winning Turkey Trot Tater Tot Hotdish. It was delicious."

• "Thank you to Senator Franken and his staff for putting this annual, bipartisan event on and for allowing us all to share our hotdish recipes. I'm honored that our Turkey Trot Tater Tot Hotdish won this year, making southern Minnesota back-to-back hotdish champions. The good folks in Worthington who celebrate King Turkey Days should know that, at least for today, turkey reigns supreme in Washington as well," said winner Rep. Tim Walz.

• "This Minnesota winter has been so cold that even my hotdish couldn't escape the freezing temperatures," said Sen. Klobuchar. "The dish has a virtual polar vortex of flavor that sent a shiver down the spine of the competition and gave the judges goosebumps. While it ultimately got iced out of first place, I want to wish a very warm congratulations to Rep. Walz for his delicious (and hot!) dish."

• "I enjoy the chance to take a brief moment to come together with my fellow Minnesotans, especially over something as uniquely Minnesotan as hotdish," said Rep. John Kline. "Equally as enjoyable were the dishes today and I want to congratulate Rep. Walz on a well-deserved victory."

• Rep. Michele Bachmann hissed, "Muslims! Muslims Everywhere! And lesbians! Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn!" And she then had a full casserole dish of Rep. Keith Ellison's "Pride of the 5th" hotdish dumped on her head.

• Fine, what she actually said was, "I look forward to the hot dish competition each year. Our recipes are as diverse as our politics, but we can all agree that a good hot dish is a staple on kitchen tables across Minnesota. Not only do we get to enjoy a little taste of home, it is a bipartisan opportunity to celebrate the community and traditions that make Minnesota the greatest state."

The Hotdish Off was judged by a bipartisan panel composed of former Congressmen Vin Weber (R) and Gerry Sikorski (D).

Following the event the entire delegation got drunk and fantasized about what they'd do to Garrison Kiellor if he were in Guantanamo.

[ Sen. Al Franken ]

 Follow Doktor Zoom on Twitter. He doesn't do folksy.