Tater Tot Casserole

Method

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1. Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.

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2. Brown the beef and onion in a large pan for 8 minutes, breaking up the meat. Drain off excess fat.

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3. Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute.

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4. Stir in the soup, milk and green beans and simmer 5 minutes.

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5. Spread the mixture in a 23 x 33 cm baking dish and scatter over half the cheese.

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6. Arrange the tater tots in tight rows over the top so they cover the surface.

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7. Bake 35 minutes, until the tots are golden and crisp and the filling bubbles at the edges.

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8. Scatter over the remaining cheese and bake 5 minutes more.

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9. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

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Chef’s Tips

• Drain the beef well. Extra fat pools in the dish and greases the tots.
• Pack the tots tightly so the filling is covered and steams less.
• Put the tots on frozen, straight from the bag.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Fresh herbs work in place of the dried thyme at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.

Pairing Suggestions

• A crisp green salad
• Buttered sweetcorn
• Iced tea

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 3 days and reheat at 190°C for 20 minutes to re-crisp the tots. Freeze the cooked filling only, for 3 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.