Pizza Tater Tot Casserole

      If you spend just a few minutes looking around my blog, it will not take long to notice that I love casseroles.  Something about them, I just love.  I guess because it is an "all in one dish" meal or that casseroles are usually delicious and filling.  Regardless, I make a lot of casseroles.  For example, I make a Mexican Tater Tot Casserole, a Chicken Taco Casserole, and a Cheesy Ham & Potato Casserole.  Anyway, this is my newest "creation" and by far, it is my family's favorite.  In fact, we made it two nights in a row this week!

Pizza Tater Tot Casserole

1 lb. hamburger meat

1 lb. frozen tater tots

2 c. shredded cheese (we used a cheddar/colby jack blend)

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

40 pepperonis

2 c. marinara sauce

2 T. chopped onions

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

      Brown the hamburger meat, garlic powder and onions together.  When it is completely browned, do not drain.  

       Stir in the marinara sauce and Italian seasoning.  Turn to low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes to give the flavors some time to "meld" together.  

       As the meat sauce is heating up, turn on your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9"x13" cake pan with cooking spray.  Once the meat sauce has heated, spread the meat sauce into the cake pan. 

     Cover the meat sauce with the pepperonis.  Form a nice layer. The photo below is not complete.  We added a LOT of pepperonis...the top of the sauce was absolutely covered but add more or less per your own tastes.

      Now, pour on the tater tots and spread them out over the top.  

       Place in the oven and allow it to bake for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and spread some more pepperonis over the top and then top with the shredded cheese and Parmesan.  Bake for 5 more minutes and then serve.

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Reserved for company? Not at my house (not anymore)

    I often hear friends and family talking about their "good china" or "good towels".  Things that they reserve only for company.  Why is this so?  Why not give your family the best you have to offer and offer the guests the ordinary things?
     I caught myself the other day when I was making my family Tater Tot casserole that I made it with the best ingredients but I just threw the tater tots on top.  When I am making it for a pot luck or for guests, I carefully place the tots all uniform on top so it looks pretty.  My reasoning is because my family truly doesn't care what it looks like as long as it tastes good.  They know I love them but it got me to thinking, why shouldn't they get the best.  They are the ones I love the most.
    So, in honor of my family, I made them this chocolate cake.  The cake I usually only make for fancy dinner parties.  It not only looks pretty it is very decadent.

    Why not do something special for your loved ones tonight?  Serve grilled cheese off your fine china perhaps!

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Tater Tot Casserole Recipe

    Tater tot casserole.  I don't know about you but just the words make me drool!  This is a favorite in our house.  Yes, I know it is not the healthiest recipe but by golly, it sure is delicious.  Everyone in our family absolutely loves it and is often requested.  We serve this on Saturday night for supper and we look forward to Saturday's because of it!

Tater Tot Casserole

1 lb. hamburger meat

2 T.  chopped onion

1 envelope onion soup mix

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. seasoning salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 can peas

2 cans cream of chicken soup

32 oz.  pkg. tater tots

1 c. shredded cheese

    A lot of people use "real" onion but I found out that if you fry up the dried chopped onion (that comes in spice sized containers, like cinnamon) with the hamburger meat, it fries up wonderfully.  It cooks up (and smells just like) you used fresh onion.   Besides, then you do not have to peel an onion or cut it up.  I like things easy!

 

     Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  

 

     Add a small amount of cooking oil to a skillet.  Add in the hamburger meat and the chopped onions.  Fry them together until the hamburger is brown. 

 

The hamburger meat and chopped onions being fried together.

 Pour into a cake pan (do not drain).  Add the onion soup mix and spices and mix it up and then open up the can of peas and pour on top.  

    Now, pour on your cream of chicken soups and gently stir it into the meat/pea mixture.  Top with tater tots.  If I am having company over for supper, I lay the tater tots on the casserole real pretty like.  Nice uniform rows and all the tater tots lined up neatly but if it is just for the family, I just basically dump the bag of tater tots on top.  My family does not care if it looks pretty as long as it tastes good. 

 

    Place in the oven for 35 minutes then top with the shredded cheese and bake another 10 minutes.  

 

The finished dish!

    Most recipes you find online are to be made in a 8"x8" square pan but we like to eat at my house so we always make it in a normal sized cake pan (13 x 8, or whatever the dimensions are).  :-)  Also, the recipes you find elsewhere usually call for twice as much meat as mine does.  I use 1 lb. for the big cake pan full and it is more than enough for us, and we are BIG meat eaters in our house.  

    Well, there you have it.  It is great comfort food!!!

      Other varieties of a tater tot casserole I make include a Mexican Tater Tot Casserole.  Check it out!

 

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