For a comforting meal full of favorites, pile meat, vegetables, condensed soup and Tater Tots into a casserole pan. Bake them until bubbly to make a midwestern Tater Tot hot dish.
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup sliced celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
3 cups frozen Tater Tots
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh parsley or chives, optional
Instructions
1Cook the meat
2Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and celery over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender. Drain as needed, then stir in the salt and pepper. Editor’s Tip: The ground beef should take about 10 minutes to cook. Break it apart with a spoon as it cooks. You can boost the flavor by adding more seasonings at this stage, such as garlic, chili powder, thyme or cayenne.
3Fill the baking dish
4Spoon the meat and vegetable mixture into a greased 3-quart baking dish, spreading it in an even layer. Spread the soup evenly over the meat. Top with the frozen Tater Tots.
5Bake the hot dish, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until it's bubbly. Editor's Tip: If the potatoes brown unevenly, rotate the dish halfway through.
6Add the cheese
7Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the top with the cheese. Bake the hot dish for another five minutes or until the cheese is melted. If desired, top with parsley or chives before serving.
