Tater Tot Casserole
A quick and simple way to turn a couple of packaged foods into a successful meal. This casserole is usually a favorite with kids and is easy to make for those of you who need a little more confidence and experience in the kitchen.
Tater Tots may not be the best thing for my waistline, my budget, or my bloodstream, but I sure love those crunchy, crispy little potato nuggets. You probably want to add a green vegetable to go with this dinner, green beans or corn make a good companion.
Using just four main ingredients, Tater Tot Casserole is a snap to put together and pop in the oven:
Tater Tot Casserole
serves 6 / prep. time: 15 minutes / cook time: 40 minutes
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 to 1/2 c. milk
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 pkg. Ore Ida frozen Tater Tots
salt and pepper to taste
Heat your oven to 400. Brown and drain the ground beef in a large skillet. Be sure to drain it well - My favorite method for draining ground beef is to push the meat to one side of the skillet, fold several paper towels, and simply use them to soak up the fat. Repeat as needed. Next add the cream of mushroom soup and maybe add a little milk. Once you get this all mixed together, you can pour it into a greased 9 x 13 or shallow casserole pan. (I use Pampered Chef’s Deep Dish Baker.) After that, all you have to do is salt and pepper the hamburger mixture, sprinkle the cheese on top, and put a layer of tater tots on last. The tater tots should cover the other ingredients entirely. Pop it into your oven and bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Warning: this casserole gets very hot and stays hot - so when serving, please warn your kids not to dig right in!
Add comment March 12th, 2006