The tater tots were steaming, the cheddar cheese was bubbling, and Rep. Betty McCollum wasn’t there to breathe it in.

In the end, it didn’t matter. The St. Paul Democrat won the Minnesota Congressional Delegation Hotdish Competition from afar on Tuesday, even as she chaired a meeting of the Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee a few blocks away.

Her submission? A beef casserole infused with cream of mushroom soup and umami seasoning, topped with fried egg roll crumbles. She called it “Hotdish A-Hmong Friends” — a nod to her home district, which has one of the largest Hmong communities in the United States.

The annual event is both a hard-fought cook-off and a tribute to Minnesota’s culinary claim to fame. Start with some thrifty ingredients, throw in some comfort food vibes, dump on a can of fried onions, and you have yourself a hotdish.

Watch: Tina Smith pays tribute to Heard on the Hill in annual Minnesota hotdish competition