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Wisconsin Bed & Breakfast Innkeepers have a well-deserved reputation for delicious food.
Our 2009 Innkeeper Cook-Off challenged Innkeepers to use wild rice creatively and tastefully.
And, we're sure you'll agree that the results certainly are!

Grand Prize Winner of 2009 Annual Innkeeper Cook-Off

Innkeeper: Nancy Bowman
Inn Name:  Bowman’s Oak Hill B&B; Wisconsin Dells, WI
Recipe Name: Wild Rice Cran-Apple Breakfast Bake
Recipe Description: I was inspired to create this breakfast dish after WBBA came out with the "Secret Ingredient." Not having ever cooked with wild rice before, it stretched me a bit but then that is good for me. When I read that it was actually not a rice but rather a cereal grain, I thought AHAH! I can do this.
Number of Servings: 4 generous or 8 side dish sized portions
Baking Time: 30 minutes
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Ingredient List: 
1 ½ c. cooked Wild Rice
¾ c. raw oatmeal
2 large red apples
¾ c. dried Cranberries
½ c. raisins
½ T. cinnamon
½ c. chopped nuts  (you can use either walnuts, pecans or a mixture of the two)
2 c. milk
¼ c. brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
2 T of butter 

Preparation:  In large bowl Mix: rice, oatmeal, thinly sliced apples (Not peeled), cranberries, raisins, cinnamon and nuts. 

Heat in microwave oven until hot:  Milk, brown sugar, salt and butter

Mix into rice and fruit mixture. Put into buttered 2 qt. casserole.
Cover and Bake @ 350°F for 30 minutes 

How served/ presentation:
Garnish with: A dollop of low fat vanilla yogurt and drizzle of pure Wisconsin Maple Syrup.
For my meat lovers I add a side of sausage with whole grain English muffin.
This recipe makes 4 generous servings or 8 side dishes to be served with an egg dish and sausage.

Second Place Winner of 2009 Annual Innkeeper Cook-Off

Innkeeper: Carl Povlick
Inn Name: Naeset-Roe Inn; Stoughton, WI
Recipe Name: Wonderfully Wild, Wild Rice Quiche
Recipe Description: This is a versatile recipe that can be made in a number of ways--regular, vegetarian, or lactose intolerant
Number of Servings: 5-8 depending on how you cut it.  I usually cut 5-6
Necessary Utensils: Pie plate, frying pan, medium mixing bowl
Baking Time: 35 to 40 minutes   
Baking Temperature: Preheat oven to 425°F 

Ingredient List:
10 good thick slices of smoky bacon or turkey bacon (May be omitted for Vegetarian)
1 (9-10 inch) prebaked pie crust
2 tsp Dijon mustard  (I vary the taste by using different flavors- Whiskey, Maple Peppercorn, Honey)
5 large eggs
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 C. Heavy Cream, Whole Milk, or Light Cream (may use soy milk for Lactose Free)
1 C. cooked Wild Rice
1 C. shredded Carblanca goat’s milk cheese (May use Swiss, Smoked Swiss, or your favorite cheese) omit for lactose free
¼ C. minced scallions or green onions (may also use red or Vidalia for different tastes)
1 T. chopped fresh dill 

Preparation:
1.      Preheat oven to 425°F
2.      Fry bacon in a frying pan until crisp, drain and crumble
3.      Brush the bottom of the baked pie crust with mustard
4.      Break eggs into a bowl and beat well with Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and milk.  Fold in bacon, rice, cheese, scallions and dill, mixing well.  Pour into pie crust.
5.      Cover the top of pie loosely with aluminum foil and bake 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 325°F and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the center.  Serve from the pan. 

How served / presentation:
Cut quiche into 5 or 6 slices and serve on a dinner plate with side ramekin of fruit compote, or fresh seasonal fruit and warm croissant.

Third Place Winner of 2009 Annual Innkeeper Cook-Off 

Innkeeper: Suzanne Soltvedt
Inn Name: Sunnyfield Farm B&B; Camp Douglas, WI
Recipe Name: Sunnyfield Farm Wild Rice Pancake, Cranberry Delight
Recipe Description:  This is the abbreviated version of Sunnyfield Farm B&B Wild Benedict.  The original took too long for preparation.
Number of Servings: 8
Necessary Utensils: 1 large sauce pan, 2 small saucepans, mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, strainer, grater, paring knife, griddle and small fry pan 

Ingredient List: Whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, eggs, honey, buttermilk, olive oil, orange zest and orange half.  Water, sugar, cranberries, apples, vinegar, raisins, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves. Cran-raspberry juice, sugar, light Karo syrup. Unsalted butter, sage leaves, chicken broth 

Preparation: 

Pancakes:
1. In a large sauce pan place ½ cup wild rice in 2 cups boiling water and cover; cooks in about 45-55 minutes but check the water doesn’t cook dry.
2. To make the pancakes, place 2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 tsps. baking soda, ½  tsp baking powder, in mixing bowl.  Add 2 eggs, 2 tbls. Honey, 2 ½ cups buttermilk, 2 tbsp. Olive oil and mix
3. Add 1 ¼ cup cooled wild rice
4. Add the zest of one orange grated
5. Add 1 cup minced craisins or raisins or dried cherries
Mix until moistened; place about ¼ cup of batter on hot griddle; turn when top bubbles. Continue until all the batter has been used. 

Chutney:
1 cup water                ¾ cup sugar               ½ tsp. Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Ginger            ¼ tsp. Allspice           1/8 tsp. Cloves

1/2 cup vinegar          ½ cup craisins or raisins
1-16 oz. Package of cranberries or 2 cups
1 cup apples, peeled, cored and diced
Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes 

Cran-raspberry Syrup
1 ½ cup cran-raspberry juice
1 ½ sugar
¾  cup Karo syrup
Bring to a boil for about 10 minutes

Browned Sage Butter
5 T. Unsalted butter
15-18 sage leaves broken into small pieces
¼ c. low sodium chicken broth

Heat the butter on high heat in a frying pan.  As soon as it gets hot, add the sage leaves and swirl to coat. Keep cooking until the butter turns brown and the sage leaves begin to turn brown. Immediately remove from the heat. 

Hollow out an orange half  

How served / presentation:
Place two pancakes on plate
Fill the hollowed out orange with chutney
Fill a small pitcher with cran-raspberry syrup – serve on the plate
Drizzle browned sage butter over pancake

2008 Innkeeper Cook-Off
Our premier cook-off had all the drama and suspense you'd expect from one of those reality-cooking shows.  Cranberries - Wisconsin's #1 crop - was the 'secret ingredient' that all innkeepers had to use in their entry.  All of the 2008 Cook-Off recipes are featured in their own section in the Wisconsin Bed & Breakfast Cookbook:  Most Requested Recipes from Wisconsin's Unique B&Bs and Country Inns. The cookbook may be ordered right from this website.

Grand Prize Winner of 2008 Innkeeper Cook-Off

Inn: Speckled Hen Inn, Madison WI
Innkeeper: Pat Fischbeck
Recipe Name: Wisconsin Breakfast Panini
Recipe Description: This grilled breakfast sandwich is filled with the bounty of our state; baby Swiss cheese, apple wood smoked bacon, crisp red apple slices, and our homemade cranberry-cherry chutney.
Number of Servings: 4 as listed but is easily scalable for any number
Necessary Utensils: Panini press or heavy skillet

Ingredient List:
 8 slices of country Italian bread
 8 thin slices of baby Swiss cheese (or enough to cover bread)
 8 slices of apple wood smoked bacon cooked until crisp
 1 large red crisp apple cored and thinly sliced
 4 Tablespoons of cranberry-cherry chutney
 Melted butter for grilling

Preparation: Assemble the sandwiches by stacking the ingredients in the following order: 1 slice of bread, 1 slice of cheese, 2 slices of bacon, apple slices, and another slice of cheese.  Spread 1 Tablespoon of chutney on the final slice of bread and place it chutney-side down on the sandwich.  Repeat the process for the other 3 sandwiches.  Brush the outer side of the bread slices with melted butter.  Place in the Panini press and grill until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted.  This may also be done in a heavy skillet by carefully flipping the sandwich to cook on both sides.  Cut the sandwiches in half or quarters and serve warm with additional chutney if desired.

Ingredient List for Sauce: Cranberry-Cherry Chutney
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
12 oz cranberries (fresh or frozen)
 ½ cup cider vinegar
1 cup of chopped dried Door County cherries
1 teaspoon Penzeys Baking Spice (a blend of cinnamon, cassia, anise seed, allspice, mace, and cardamom)
1 peeled and cored apple, diced

Preparation for above: Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and return to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the apple is tender and the cranberries have popped.  Cool and refrigerate.

How served / presentation: At the breakfast table the Panini is often served as a side dish with scrambled eggs with cream cheese and herbs.  Plates are garnished with fresh herbs from the garden or window sill and additional fresh apple slices.  The Panini is also great to put in a breakfast-to-go bag for very early morning departures.

Second Place Winner of 2008 Innkeeper Cook-Off

Inn: Old Rittenhouse Inn, Bayfield WI
Innkeepers:  Jerry & Mary Phillips, Mark & Wendy Phillips
Recipe: Wisconsin Cranberry “Borscht” with Bison Strip Steak
Recipe Description: This entrée was inspired by the individuality of the three main flavors: cranberries, bison and beets; the warmth they create when combined and the color RED. 
Number of Servings: 4
Necessary Utensils: Vegetable Peeler, Food handler Gloves (unless you like purple skin), sharp knife, cutting board, sauce or serving spoon, 2 qt. Saucepan, large heavy frying pan.
Total Preparation Time: 1 Hour. Less if you can get someone else to peel the beets for you.
Borscht Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups rich beef, veal, or bison stock
3 Tbsp. Red wine vinegar
1 ½ c. peeled red beets, cut in small wedges or large dice
1 carrot, peeled and cut large dice
1 ½ cup fresh cranberries
2 Tbsp sugar
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
4 Tbsp butter
Procedure for Borscht:
In medium saucepan bring stock, beets, vinegar and pinch of salt to boil and simmer over medium heat till beets are tender, about 25 minutes.  This recipe can be done a day in advance up to this point and brought back to a simmer at service time.  This is also the perfect time to start preparing the bison. 
Add carrots, simmer 5 minutes more.
Add cranberries, sugar and cabbage, simmer 3 minutes more.
While simmering, swirl in butter, taste and adjust with more sugar, salt, and pepper.  Reserve
Bison Ingredients:
1½ lb.  Bison NY Strip Loin, neatly trimmed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Tbsp. Cold butter
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground White Pepper, to taste
1Tbsp. Vegetable oil
Procedure for Bison Strip Steak:
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Season bison with salt and pepper
Heat heavy frying pan till quite hot.  Add vegetable oil, sear steak both sides about 4-6 minutes.  Add thyme and butter to the pan, scrape the browned bits off the bottom into the butter, and place the steak on top of the thyme sprigs, place the entire pan in the oven till meat reaches desired doneness.  I recommend serving bison rare and medium rare for best flavor and texture.  This should take about 10 minutes of oven time.  Be aware that Bison is very lean and tends to cook more quickly than beef. Let rest in a warm place for at least 5 minutes.
How served / presentation:
1 sprig fresh dill, picked
4 Tbsp (or more) crème fraiche or sour cream
Your favorite mashed potato recipe.
Remove Bison Steak to cutting board and slice across the grain. 
Onto warmed plates, place a portion of mashed potatoes.
Carefully (This sauce has a lot of color) spoon the borscht onto the center of each plate.
Arrange bison slices up against the potatoes
Top with attractive dollop of crème fraiche and sprinkle with dill. 

Third Place Winner of 2008 Innkeeper Cook-Off

Inn: Westby House Victorian Inn, Westby, WI
Innkeeper: Marie Cimino
Recipe Name: Waffles with Cranberry Topping & Cinnamon Cream Syrup
Recipe Description: The combination of the cranberries and waffles add warmth and wonderful flavors to a fall breakfast. The thin cinnamon cream syrup puts a nice light finish to the breakfast.  Every guest comments on how much they loved their first experience of waffles with cranberries! 
Number of Servings: 8
Necessary Utensils: two medium-size sauce pans, waffle iron
Baking Time: Stove-top preparation Cranberry Topping - 8 minutes, Cinnamon Cream Syrup - 5 minutes
Baking Temperature: N/A
Ingredient List: 8 Waffles
Preparation: Make your favorite waffle recipe and bake on waffle iron.  Keep warm until serving.
Ingredient List for Cranberry Waffle Topping
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
2 cups tart apples, pared and diced
1½ cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup water, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½  cup coarsely broken walnuts for garnish
1 cup whipping cream  for garnish - optional
Cinnamon Cream Syrup
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water, divided
¾ cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation for above: Cranberry Waffle Topping
Combine cranberries, apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, round cloves and ¼ cup water in a medium-size sauce pan.  Heat, stirring constantly, to boiling, then cook for 5 minutes.  Smooth cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup water to a paste in a cup; stir into cranberry mixture.  Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils 3 minutes.   Divide evenly on the waffles.  
Cinnamon Cream Syrup: In a medium-size sauce pan, combine the brown sugar, light corn syrup, and water. Bring to a boil, stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in evaporated milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Serve with waffles and cranberry topping. 
How served / presentation:  Ladle a small amount of the cinnamon cream syrup onto serving plate, place waffle on top of syrup.  Add the cranberry topping in the center of each waffle; ladle additional syrup over the topping.    Garnish with walnuts and fresh whipping cream.  A side order of lime-pepper seasoned bacon is a nice complement.