Tater Tot Casserole

A few weeks ago, my friend (and neighbor and former coworker) Jessie gave birth to her adorable baby boy. I thought I'd whip up a casserole for them to keep in the freezer for a night when they were looking for a quick-and-easy home-cooked meal.

I found a recipe for Tater Tot Hot Dish in my Hot Dish Heaven cookbook that I thought Jessie, her husband and two-year-old would enjoy. Upon hearing what I was making, Nate exclaimed, "Aw, you make all the good stuff for everyone else!" (Whatever that means--although it probably means I'll be making it for us sometime in the near future.)

The casserole came together really easily. Jessie and family ate it a few weeks later, and she said it was good. She baked it from frozen for an extra hour, and said the only thing she'd do differently next time is broil it for a few minutes at the end.

Tater Tot Hot Dish

Makes 4 servings

• 1 lb. regular or lean ground beef or ground turkey


• 1 onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)


• 2 cups (8 oz.) frozen vegetables, such as peas and carrots or mixed veggies


• 10-oz. can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup (I used mushroom)


• 1/2 cup milk


• 16 oz. frozen package of tater tots (so ... rereading the recipe, I notice it says "1/2 package." I most definitely used the entire package! So use anywhere from half the package to the whole package.)

Heat oven to 350*.

In a large skillet, brown meat and onion lightly. Spread in shallow 10x10 or 9x13 baking dish. Spread veggies over meat, making an even layer. Stir together soup and milk until smooth. Drizzle soup mixture over veggies. Arrange tater tots in a single layer over soup.

Bake 1 hour or until tots are browned.