midwestern casserole 101

There are 2 standards by which nearly every basic casserole - sometimes called a "hot dish" or even a "dish to pass" if you are inclined towards church potlucks - is made.

1. Brown a pound of ground beef.
2. Bake for an hour at 350.

It is the first one that led me to be making Tater Tot Casserole on this fine winter's day. During my glorious week in Cancun, my mother was slaving away in my kitchen for my family. My mother, god bless her, is Midwestern to the core. My family has probably never had so much continuous meat and potatoes in all their life. After she returned to Iowa I found some ground beef in the freezer and was nearly stumped on what to do with it.

Now, I have been in the Pacific NW long enough that even though I was born and bred in the heartland, I no longer stock ground beef in my freezer. I usually only buy it to make hamburgers but even now I turn to the ready made buffalo burgers at Trader Joes. (Mmmmmm.... buffalo burger......) Today I happend to be in the frozen food aisle and a little light dinged in the far reaches of my brain as I passed the various versions of potatoes available. Tater Tots. *ding* Perfect. And now you are lucky enough to get a full on Tater Tot Casserole tutorial that you never knew you wanted. (And yes, to my dear sister reading this, I realize that I didn't buy name brand Tater Tots, the midwestern thriftiness never left even though my eating habits have changed.) Let the photo essay begin!

Brown the ground beef


If you are outside the midwest, go nuts and add onion and garlic.


Get your 9x14 pan greased and ready!


I layer up. Meat first.

Peas...

Cream of Mushroom (1 can for 9x9, 2 for 9x13)...

Tots.

Bake 1 hr at 350 and enjoy....