Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients

1.5 lb Lean ground beef (I use 90/10)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 can milk

1 Bag (2lb) Tater Tots

1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Black pepper, Onion Powder, Seasoned Salt, and Ac'cent seasoning to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In an 8-10 qt nonstick pot or casserole dish press 1.5 lb GROUND BEEF down into an even layer, pressing down into corners. Season with BLACK PEPPER, ONION POWDER, AND SEASONED SALT.

Combine 1 can of CREAM OF MUSHROOM, 1/2 can MILK, and 1/2 Tbsp WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE and pour the soup mixture over the seasoned beef.

Top with 1 bag TATER TOTS. Season tots with AC'CENT to taste.

Bake uncovered at 350°F for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until beef is cooked through.

Drain fat from casserole if you used a fattier blend of beef. This step is unnecessary if you used lean ground beef.

Switch oven to BROIL and cook uncovered with oven door open just until the top of the tots are beautifully browned.

Serve with salad or your favorite vegetable.

Tips & Add-ons

-I cook this in a nonstick 10qt pot (KitchenAid hard anodised non stick. Call me, KitchenAid, and I'll shill for any product you want to send me. This pot was a wedding present 14 years ago and has held up amazingly.) You can make it in a casserole dish but I love that I can wash the pot without having to soak off cooked-on food before washing.

-You can make this with cheaper, fattier beef. It'll taste even better with a beef that's only 73% or 80% lean, but draining the fat is a hassle and Mr Chubby doesn't need to get any Chubbier. 😉

-Stretch this meal further and change it from a one-pot-dish to a one-pot-meal by mixing a 2 cups of your favorite frozen veggies into the soup-and-milk mixture.

-Speed up the meal by cooking everything separately. Bake the tots as directed on the package while browning the beef in a 8-10qt pot. Mix the soup and seasonings (NO MILK) into the cooked beef and top with the mostly-cooked Tater Tots and bake 20-25 minutes so the tots can finish cooking. Finish with broiler as usual.

-Throw a cup or two of your favorite shredded cheese into the recipe between the soup and Tater tot layers, or sprinkle the top with mozzarella before broiling.

-Add bacon. Seriously, when's the last time you regretted adding bacon to anything?