The Midwest hotdish that started this whole direction. A homemade cream sauce keeps it from tasting canned, and the tots go on last so they crisp up instead of steaming. Assembles ahead and reheats a single pan beautifully in the toaster oven.
Ingredients
- 1½ lb ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp Smokehouse rub (or 1 tsp salt + ½ tsp pepper)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1½ cups milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup frozen corn or cut green beans
- 2 cups shredded cheddar, divided
- 1 lb frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic over medium-high heat, breaking it up. Season with the Smokehouse rub and drain excess fat.
- Push the beef aside (or set aside) and melt the butter in the pan. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the milk and simmer until thickened, 2–3 minutes.
- Off the heat, stir in the sour cream, corn, half the cheddar, and the beef until combined.
- Spread the mixture into two 8" foil pans (or one 9x13). Top with a single even layer of tater tots, then scatter the remaining cheddar over.
- Bake 35–40 minutes until the tots are golden and crisp and the edges bubble.
Make-Ahead & Storage
Assemble fully (tots on top), cover, and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bake from the fridge at 375°F for ~40 minutes; from frozen, cover with foil and bake ~55 minutes, then uncover for the last 15 to crisp the tots. Reheat single portions in the toaster oven at 350°F for ~20 minutes.
Notes
For a shortcut, a 10.5 oz can of cream of mushroom soup can replace the butter-flour-milk sauce. Add a layer of sautéed mushrooms or crumbled bacon to the beef for variety. A dusting of Smokehouse rub over the tots before baking adds a smoky edge.