Tater Tot Casserole

In most places, summer vacation means long sunny days filled with trips to the beach and hosting backyard barbecues. But here in Seattle, "summer vacation" means that the summer season itself has taken a vacation far away from here. The days blur together from one shade of gray to the next as the temperature struggles to keep its head barely above 70 degrees. At 75 degrees, you can find the classic Seattleite proudly walking around in a strange mix of shorts and sweatshirts, silently rebelling against the looming clouds over head. But as the bi-polar temperatures wreak havoc on our wardrobes, I too feel the pain of confusion in the kitchen. Will it be too hot to be baking in the oven? Will tomorrow be another "June-uary" day that calls for hot soup and grilled cheese? Who's to say? With the way this summer has been so far, I find myself gravitating more towards fall recipes rather than the classic light summer foods. And, although the Northwest is absolutely breath-taking when it is sunny, the constant grey days often call for some of the best comfort foods that fall has to offer. So in spite of the season being what it is, more and more of my cold-weather recipes are finding their way back on to my plate.

This recipe is yet another childhood favorite of mine. It is the absolute epitome of comfort food, complete with starches, cheese, and meat. It is by no means a low-calorie meal. So if you're looking for something healthy, look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a delicious, easy-make meal, this is it! Another great thing about this recipe is that it is a perfect meal to pre-make and freeze for future dinners.

You will find that this recipe obviously calls for Tater Tots. But if you don't have any, or are just not a fan of Tater Tots, you can easily substitute Tater Tots with regular, plain, sliced baked potatoes. Simply stab a couple potatoes with a fork a few times before microwaving them until they are mostly soft (stabbing the potatoes will prevent them from exploding in the microwave). Allow the potatoes to cool slightly before slicing them into disks and layering them over the top of the casserole. You will see in the picture below that I used the potato method rather than Tater Tots simply because I ran out of Tater Tots. Both versions of the dish are just as delicious in my opinion. It may not be the most attractive looking dish, but it is sure to leave you feeling happy and full.

Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 10oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 32oz package frozen tater tots
Chopped onion
1 10oz can of green beans

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.

Brown ground beef. Add in onions and sauté. Season with salt and pepper, while browning. Drain.

Spread ground beef and onions in the prepared baking dish. Mix together soup, sour cream, green beans, and one cup of cheese. Spread over ground beef in an even layer.

Top with tater tots. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the tater tots.

Cover with tinfoil and bake 30 minutes. Remove tinfoil and bake another 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.

Let cool for about 5-10 minutes. Serve hot.

*If you're making this dish to freeze for a future meal, simply assemble the dish and freeze before baking. When you're ready to cook, allow the dish to thaw completely and follow normal baking instructions.