Tater Tott Caserole

Category: Grub Garage

Post 1 by MizAngie (Veteran Zoner) on Monday, 24-May-2010 17:19:12

Hi, this is a family favorite recipe.
Tater Tott Caserole

1 bag tater tots
1 lb ground beef
1 can chedder cheese soup
1/2 c shredded chedder cheese

First, brown the ground beef and drain. Then spray the bottom of a caserole dish and place the ground beef on the bottom of the caserole dish to make the first layer. Next, cover the ground beef with the contents of the chedder cheese soup. You can mix the soup and meat together if you would prefer. Finally make a layer of tater Tots on the top. Cover and bake for a half of an hour. Then uncover put the shredded cheese on and cook another 15 to 30 minutes until the top is slightly crisp. Bake at 375.
Enjoy

Post 2 by Grace (I've now got the ggold prolific poster award! wahoo! well done to me!) on Monday, 24-May-2010 18:34:06

Hi there MizAngie,

Sound both easy to make
as well as being tasty.

Just an idea though as
I have a habit of substituting ingredients
Seems to me that I might rather use
a can of tomato soup in place of the cheddar cheese soup.

What's neat about this recipe is
that while it is baking one can go ahead
and make a salad.
When it comes from the oven
a balanced meal is ready
and really all that needs to be added is a beverage.

Also I like that this type of a recipe makes
for easy clean-up in that not a lot of
pots and pans are used. *nice :)

Post 3 by MizAngie (Veteran Zoner) on Monday, 24-May-2010 22:55:51

The Tomato Soup could be good. I have a friend that adds Salza to hers. And a Salad does go well with this dish.

Post 4 by SingerOfSongs (Heresy and apostasy is how progress is made.) on Tuesday, 25-May-2010 12:26:06

For clarification, do you thaugh the tator tots 1st? (as usually they're frozen.) I'd assume so, but I also don't like assuming. :)

Post 5 by shea (number one pulse checking chicky) on Tuesday, 25-May-2010 18:47:01

miah, when i make it I don't. i make it different though. i like it better with chicken, and I put cream of mushroom soup instead of cheeese soup. then put in over for one hour. cover with cheese and bake for another fifteen minutes. it's yummy. it's also good with salsa on the top. i cook the chicken a bit before putting it in the casseroel. cause it don't take as long and I can put it in the forman still frozen.

Post 6 by MizAngie (Veteran Zoner) on Tuesday, 25-May-2010 22:43:03

Yes, I have to agree with Shea. I don't thaw mine. I love different variations, and its always good to experiment with recipies. I had thought of trying ground turkey with this recipe as well.
Thanks for sharring Shea.
Kind regards,

Post 7 by Grace (I've now got the ggold prolific poster award! wahoo! well done to me!) on Sunday, 30-May-2010 21:01:14

It seems it has been ages since I had a caserole
and had forgotten just how tasty they can be.
Made one for dinner this evening...
Added one small onion minced to the ground beef
as it was cooking/browing on the stove.
I didn't have cheddar cheese for the topping
and rather used the shredded mozeralla cheese I did have.
Marvelous!!
Thanks for the Great suggestions here.

Post 8 by MizAngie (Veteran Zoner) on Monday, 31-May-2010 10:03:22

I'm sooo glad you enjoyed the recipies. Its always good to have a recipe you can use as a base and then alter it to fit your likes.
Kind regards,

Post 9 by Blondie McConfusion (Blah Blah Blah) on Tuesday, 01-Jun-2010 0:58:49

if you like ground turkey, it is yummy that way also. i was taught to make it similar to the way shan does. except hamburger instead of chicken. sometimes i add peas in with the meat and soup, then line the tator tots up on top. i add a bit of shredded cheese towards the end of cooking also. you could do so much with this.

Post 10 by MizAngie (Veteran Zoner) on Friday, 04-Jun-2010 15:34:38

Thanks for sharing Pipi.

Post 11 by Starcannon20 (the Zone BBS remains forever my home page) on Monday, 07-Jun-2010 23:16:51

sounds like something I'm gonna have to try...maybe the family will get a kick out of this

Post 12 by ablindgibsongirl (the Zone BBS remains forever my home page) on Sunday, 13-Jun-2010 8:36:48

Oh man this brings back memories. Mom was a high class white trash cook. I miss her cooking even if it was just tater tots some baked chicken and canned green beans. I've gone beyond what she knew about cooking but you can't beat the standards. I make a few concessions in cooking these days, cream of mushroom soup, boxed stuffing frozen veggies, and the slow cooker. Any cookbook before say 1980 will have basic techniques for cooking. If you don't have it already get Cooking Without Looking. An oldy but goody. I grab old cookbooks from the internet archive as well. Oh, you can do so much with those bags of frozen chicken breasts. Now I have to buy tater tots when I go to the store today. Tiffany

Post 13 by ablindgibsongirl (the Zone BBS remains forever my home page) on Sunday, 13-Jun-2010 8:43:07

Oh yes, what to do with the chicken breasts? Take 4 or five depending on howmany your feeding, add a can of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom, then a can of water with a crumbled chicken bouleon cube. Over the chicken sprinkle some sharp chedar cheese. Then a box of stuffing. Pour some melted butter over all this and bake till a fork meets no resistance in the largest piece of chicken. Bake at 350. Serve with steamed veggies and fresh fruit. Enjoy. Tiffany

Post 14 by MizAngie (Veteran Zoner) on Sunday, 13-Jun-2010 14:18:08

This sounds really good Tiffany, and really easy to make on a day where there is a lot to get done. Thanks for sharing
.

Post 15 by DevilishAnthony (Just go on and agree with me. You know you want to.) on Sunday, 13-Jun-2010 20:20:51

A friend of mine loves this casserole. She makes it just like the original, except that she puts a can of corn in with the tots. I myself have tried several variations, but always come back to the original recipe. somehow, it's so quick, simple and easy that one can't help but become hooked on it. Yum.

Post 16 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Wednesday, 25-Aug-2010 12:29:24

I've got a recipe my mom uses that I really like. It uses Crispy Crowns instead of Tater Tots since as far as I'm concerned Crispy Crowns are much more flavorful. It also uses chicken instead of ground beef or turkey and Cream of Chicken soup instead of Cream of Mushroom or cheese soup. What you do is pour the soup into a bowl and then add milk (just fill the empty soup can with milk and pour it into the bowl). Then just mix the soup and the milk together. Then you take some grilled chicken breast and slice it into bite-size pieces and put them, along with the mixture of the soup and milk, into a casserole dish. This is obviously the dish you'll be cooking the casserole in. Then you add a few handfuls of crispy crowns (the amount is up to you). Then you take a can of string beans or green beans if you want and add that, then more Crispy Crowns. You want to layer it. Then stir it together a little. Then you put it in the oven with the lid on the casserole dish at a temp of about 400 for about an hour or so, although if you want you can take it out fifteen minutes before the timer goes off and add a little salt and pepper. You just want to cook it long enough so that the crowns are as their name implies, a little crispy on the outside. We went through a stretch a couple years ago where this casserole was what we had for dinner every monday because my dad has this habit of saying I don't care when my mom asks him what he wants for dinner, then saying he would have preferred something else when she just makes something. So my mom decided that we'd have this casserole every monday. It fast became my favorite day of the week...

Post 17 by Sage Rose (the Zone BBS remains forever my home page) on Tuesday, 31-Aug-2010 5:32:37

This sounds so good. I need tater tots now. This recipe will be wonderful on those nights I don't know what to make, but my Little Bit needs to eat, so I would love to make it for her. I think she'd like it, or play with it, either way, it sounds so'o good

Post 18 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Wednesday, 01-Sep-2010 23:52:43

Like I said I tend to use those Crispy Crowns since in my opinion they're more flavorful than regular Tots. But the recipe is definitely scrumptious. LOL.

Post 19 by turricane (happiness and change are choices ) on Thursday, 09-Sep-2010 10:24:49

if you go on cooks.com, thre are 50 some odd tater tot recipes. i love them and use cream of mushroom soup instead of the cheese soup. it is also good with cream of chicken soup. i either use the ground beef with the shroom soup or the chicken with that soup.

Post 20 by Grace (I've now got the ggold prolific poster award! wahoo! well done to me!) on Thursday, 09-Sep-2010 18:05:48

The aire has a chill in it hinting of Autumnal Days

A warming nourishment providing caserole sounds especially desired.

Post 21 by turricane (happiness and change are choices ) on Friday, 10-Sep-2010 9:47:42

just a thought but if you don't like the idea of tater tots, you can substite potatoes cut small and it tastes good too.

Post 22 by Grace (I've now got the ggold prolific poster award! wahoo! well done to me!) on Friday, 10-Sep-2010 10:01:58

And your speaking of cutting up small potatoes
gives me to consider that I suppose what also
could be used would be boiled potatoes.

So oft I will make them and then so many left-overs.
So I am now thinking, why not use these up the next day
as this type of a topping shared here.

Only the need to adjust the cooking time, etc. given
they are not frozen being added and are already cooked through.
It is just that so oft with the boiled potatoes left overs
that I make up a potatoe salad and this would be
a great change of pace... and taste :)

Post 23 by turricane (happiness and change are choices ) on Monday, 13-Sep-2010 13:18:25

grace,
that is an exceelent idea. you know another thing you can do with left over boiled potatoes is mfry them. they are so good. just chop in to small pieces and fry with some onion and/or green pepper. oh yes and you can make great potato pancakes with them too.

Post 24 by Grace (I've now got the ggold prolific poster award! wahoo! well done to me!) on Monday, 13-Sep-2010 15:59:31

well, for as oft as I use my microwave
and I am thinking that mfry is to
microfry foods..???

Yes, that sounds delish!

..never had potato pancakes though
I have had pancakes with a side of hash browns
only not potato pancakes
That sounds like what a person would prepare if
making a "pancake supper"

Post 25 by LeoGuardian (You mean there is something outside of this room with my computer in it?) on Monday, 13-Sep-2010 22:00:56

A bit of drift here but my wife started making what she calls potato logs, they come out like Texas fries but as she says, healthier.
Just slice the potatoes spray a cookie sheet with Pam or whatever oil, I did 'em once with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and lay them down, cover them with a little salt and pepper, put them in the oven at 425 for an hour I think it is then the outside is crisp and the inside really good.
But back to tater tots, one of my fav brewhouses actually serves tater tots. really good with a good stiff dark ale.

Post 26 by Perestroika (Her Swissness) on Monday, 13-Sep-2010 23:08:04

I'm sorry, I must be australian or something, but wtf is a tater tot?

Post 27 by Grace (I've now got the ggold prolific poster award! wahoo! well done to me!) on Tuesday, 14-Sep-2010 9:11:53

lol
I'm sure someone will tell you all about what tator tots are
..only I am so in need of coffee right now
that I am speechless to telling exactly
what these morsels so tasty are...

stay tuned, someone ought to be along shortly :)

Post 28 by Grace (I've now got the ggold prolific poster award! wahoo! well done to me!) on Wednesday, 15-Sep-2010 2:31:05

well, I'm back..
Thot someone would have responded by now

..tator tots are like mini hash browns, uncooked and like
into a little squared rectangle molded.
Extremely small in size, liken to a donut hole, only smaller.
Sold in the freezer dept. of grocery stores.

They are tasty taken from the bag and baked and
can be eaten like how you would french fries
in that they can be dipped in catsup, etc.
or used as how described in these many posts.

Post 29 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Saturday, 25-Sep-2010 14:25:22

Some of them are more...sylendrical I suppose? I think it depends on the brand in some cases.

Post 30 by nature lady (Newborn Zoner) on Tuesday, 04-Jan-2011 8:50:00

I will try tatertot caserole this week I like onions so I will fry them with some beef.

Post 31 by Siriusly Severus (The ESTJ 1w9 3w4 6w7 The Taskmaste) on Saturday, 19-Nov-2011 3:00:04

interesting recipe but I don't eat beef and don't like cheese all that much.

Post 32 by shea (number one pulse checking chicky) on Saturday, 19-Nov-2011 18:15:42

we have found that adding a bag of mixed veggies to what i said above... and it's sooo yummy!!!