Bringing Minnesota (or part of it) south...
As we continue to mourn our return to the south after a fantastic 8 days in God's Country (home - Minnesota), I find myself trying to hang on to the vivid memories so as not to let them become distant and fleeting. One of the ways I do that is through food.
In the winter it's lefse and various hotdishes; in the summer, it's usually some sort of Jell-O salad. Well, it's not winter, but I'm definitely jonesing for some tot hotdish... So that's what's for dinner tonight.
I had a lot of interest in my "recipe" when I posted about it on Facebook a few weeks ago, so I thought I'd drop it here, too... The one pictured above was the best one I've ever made, and while I don't keep track of how much of everything I use from time to time (it's whatever I have in my pantry/fridge), I did make note of the combination of veggies I used this time. If you've never tried Tater Tot Hotdish or if you are looking for a new veggie combination, try this one - I doubt you'll be disappointed:
Ingredients
1 lb Ground Beef
Worchestershire, to taste
Dried Rosemary, to taste
1 Small Onion, chopped
4-5 Large Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Cans Cream of Something Soup - I use one each of Mushroom and Chicken
Chopped Veggies - Mushrooms, Broccoli, Red Pepper, Carrot, Peas
Shredded Cheese, to taste
Tater Tots, large bag
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brown ground beef; add Worcestershire and Rosemary to taste. Drain fat, add beef to large bowl. Saute onions and garlic, but very briefly (I prefer almost raw for stronger flavor). Add to bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Make sure there are enough veggies so that the soup component just helps hold it all together. Spread in 9x13 pan. Top with shredded cheese (I like sharp cheddar or pepper jack) and a single layer of tots. Bake for 30 minutes or until tots are crispy. Top with more cheese and bake just long enough to melt.