A Midwestern Mother's Love

Hey there, Hi there, Hello there ladies! Today we have an extra special treat—a guest blogger! A shout out to J-lo for providing a family favorite. On Monday I was listening to Lucky Bitch Radio, a podcast brought to us by a single, sober, unemployed, nearly homeless, drag queen in Minneapolis, Wanda Wisdom. Well, Wanda was talking about Midwestern "hot dish" and I started craving some old school tater tot casserole.

So, Ladies and Germs, without further ado,
Tater Tot Casserole!

This is a true Midwestern dish - so it's not all that veggie (or diet) friendly.

To appreciate this dish, you must understand that the one cuisine native to the Midwest is the casserole. I joke that the only requirements are three things—it must be simple, it must only use one pot and it must use a can of cream of something soup! Where else can you get all four food groups in one vat of gloppy goodness? This is a blank canvas meal—use it anyway you like and enjoy.

1 pound ground beef (you could certainly use chicken)
1 Tbsp minced onion (or chop up some fresh)
1 can french cut green beans (you could certainly use fresh)
1 can cream of celery soup (but use any cream of ___ you have)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (use any cheese, use more or less)

frozen tater totsBrown the meet with the onion. At this point add any spices you might want—salt & pepper, Mrs. Dash, minced garlic, etc. Drain the grease and add to a casserole dish with the beans, soup, and cheese. Top with tater tots. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour.

The great debate with this casserole (between Scott and I) is where the cheese goes. He likes it on top—I like it mixed in. Tonight we tried a compromise—half in, half on top.

This dish reheats easily, although that usually ruins the tater tots. I recommend dishing up your leftovers and putting a few new (frozen) tater tots on top for when you reheat it.

J-lo

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