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‘Hotdish’ is pure leftover comfort By Sarah Lemon Jan 06, 2023 01:03 PM A A After spending the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day away from home, I’m easing back into cooking. One way of doing that is dealing with all the leftovers I stashed in the freezer before our departure. The remnants of the Christmas goose (yes, goose!) went into the Instant Pot two days ago to yield a delightfully flavored stock that belied how greasy this bird actually was straight out of the oven. The bird’s other byproduct was more than a pint of beautifully rendered fat that unfortunately dripped on the oven and smoked up our Christmas Eve festivities. I told my older son who lobbied for this culinary icon straight out of “A Christmas Carol” that we’d be hard-pressed to justify the goose’s cost next year. And that’s why I’m not wasting a scrap of it. Once the bones had boiled, I pulled off plenty of meat to enrich a broccoli quiche with some to spare. Toying with the adaptations of traditional turkey recipes — potpie , tetrazzini and their ilk — my mind turned toward such Midwestern traditions as wild rice soup . And if the subject is Minnesotan cuisine, hot dish is bound to come up. It may sound like a concession to cooking, but the tater tots typical to hot dish essentially equate to the mashed potato layer in a shepherd’s pie , just crispier. And like the latter, the former is pure comfort food for plenty of Americans. The following recipe comes from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who won top prize in the 2014 Minnesota Congressional Delegation Hotdish Off. He’s won the competition three times, and is the reigning champion. It could be made with any ground or leftover cubed meat. Even my goose. Tribune News Service photo Turkey Trot Tater-Tot Hotdish 1 pound ground turkey 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon dried sage 1 egg 1/2 cup chopped scallions 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more as needed 2 teaspoons salt, divided 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound fresh green beans, stems removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces 4 slices bacon 6 tablespoons butter, divided 1 1/2 cups chopped baby bella mushrooms 5 to 6 tablespoons flour 2 1/2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup half and half 1/4 cup chopped onion 3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided 1 (32-ounce) package tater tots Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium bowl, combine the turkey, garlic, sage, scallions, egg, pepper and 1 teaspoon of the salt. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and then brown turkey mixture. Remove from stove and transfer mixture to a large bowl. In a pot of boiling water, blanch the green beans for 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove beans and plunge them into ice water. Once cool, drain completely and add to turkey mixture. In a skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and cool bacon on paper towels. Chop bacon into 1/4-inch pieces and add to turkey mixture. Gently combine turkey mixture, beans and bacon and spread in an even layer in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter. As soon as foam begins to subside, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring continuously, until mushrooms are browned, for about 4 to 6 minutes. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Slowly and evenly sprinkle the flour into butter. Cook for 2 minutes, then slowly whisk in the milk and half and half. Cook for 2 more minutes, then add the diced onion, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. After 1 minute, stir in 2 1/2 cups of the cheese and cook, stirring, until melted. Pour cheese mixture evenly over casserole. Scatter the tater tots over top, then scatter over remaining shredded cheese. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.