Tater Tot Hotdish

Before moving to this part of the country, there were many common Minnesota phrases or words I'd never heard of. The most appetizing of these would have to be the hotdish. In these parts, a hotdish is like a casserole, and the most famous is the Tater Tot hotdish. I attempted to prepare one last winter and only thought it was so-so. However, after adjusting a few things I tried it again yesterday and it was delicious.

Below is how I prepared it and a couple pictures of how it turned out.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
half a pound frozen veggies (I use the mix of carrots, peas, green beans, corn)
2 cans of 10 3/4 ounce cream of mushroom soup
1 pound of tater tots
a handful of shredded cheddar cheese

First, brown the ground beef and flavor to your liking. I just sprinkle with some salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Once the beef is browned, I drain the grease and pat it dry with a paper towel. Spread the beef along the bottom of a 2 quart casserole.
Then layer the frozen veggies along the top of the beef.
Next layer the soup on top of the veggies.
After that, arrange the tater tots on top of the soup.

Place the casserole, I mean hotdish, into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake uncovered for 40 minutes. After the 40 minutes, take it out of the oven and crank the temperature up to 425 degrees. Sprinkle the cheese on top and place back into the 425 degree oven for an additional 15 minutes. Enjoy!