What's for Dinner? Part 10.

It's Tater Tot Hot Dish!  My best friend, Sarah, from College, used to make this on occasion for our Girl's Night's where we'd have a yummy meal, watch movies, and have wine coolers...we were pretty darn classy in College ;)  Anyway, it's been a while since I had it, and I thought it the perfect comfort food since I have a cold and its been chilly outside!

Tater Tot Hot Dish

1 Package Tater Tots

1 lb Lean Ground Sirloin (or Ground Beef)

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Can Corn

1 Can Green Beans

Salt & Pepper

Seasonings

Shredded Cheese (of your choice)

Look at those Tots!

At the grocery store I picked up Ground Sirloin because it was leaner than the ground beef and was also on sale!  So first, I browned the Sirloin, adding in salt and pepper, garlic salt, and some steak seasoning to taste.  I didn't have any Worcestershire or Steak Sauce, otherwise, I would have added that in when I was cooking the Sirloin because it makes it more juicy and flavorful.  Then, I drained the meat and put that in the bottom of a 9x13 pan that I had sprayed with cooking spray.  Next, I drained both cans of vegetables and spread my corn and green beans over the meat.  You could use 2 cups of fresh or frozen vegetables but being sick, I went the easiest route possible.  Then, I spread each can of soup over my Sirloin and vegetables and topped that with rows of Tater Tots.  Normally, I'd cook this in a baking dish, so you'd probably only use half a bag of Tater Tots but because I didn't have one available I used a 9x13 pan and had lots of Tots!  Lastly, I baked it (uncovered) at 350 for 45 minutes making sure the Tots were golden brown and crispy.  Let it sit for a minute or two before serving because it's going to be very hot.

Tater Tot Hot Dish

This was my version of Tater Tot Hot Dish as I know there are many out there and it's pretty hard to mess up a casserole, but I liked all the vegetables and it wasn't soupy at all, just creamy.  You can add your favorite Cheese as soon as you're ready to serve it and it gives it another element of creaminess.  For mine (not pictured with cheese), I used a Cheddar, Jack, and Mozzarella blend.  The Tots cooked perfectly and were actually crispy when biting into them and you had a Tot for every bite and I love my Tots.  If using this large a pan I would add in more meat because I felt like I was missing out on that, and you could make it even healthier by using Ground Turkey.  If there's one thing I learned from making Green Bean Casserole for Thanksgiving last year, you don't use Fat Free Cream of Anything soup, there's a major flavor difference, so you have to go for the flavor and not worry about the fat.  It's meant to be a comfort food, and I had 2 servings and was perfectly full.  It was easy to prep, you let it cook for 45 minutes and it's done.  Plus, it's great as leftovers!

Now...Eat your Tots!