This one goes out to all my Minnesota fans! If you are from Minnesota you know exaclty what Tator Tot Hotdish is. If you are not from that part of the country then you are most likely thinking, what the bleep is that. This is a Minnesota tradition. Chris had never experienced Tator Tot Hotdish, so I cooked it up for him the other night. This is not my pride and joy of cooking, but I did gussy it up just a tad.Recipe
1 lb ground beef
1 leek
2 cloves garlic
2 cans cream of mushroom soup - I used the Whole Foods version.
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
8-12 ounces pepper jack cheese
1 package Tator Tots
Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. First saute the ground beef until it is cooked. Drain the fat out of the pan and set aside.
Throw the leeks and garlic into the pan and cook until they are soft.
add the meat back to the pan along with the cream of mushroom soup, corn and peas. Mix everything together. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 12 pan. Sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top of the meat mixture.
Now the fun really begins, you get to layer on all of the Tator Tots. Bake in a 450 degree over for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle on a little more cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
I think Chris enjoyed his first serving of Tator Tot Hotdish. When we were at the Minnesota State Fair last year they had Tator Tot Hotdish on a stick and I am pretty sure we will be stopping by next year! Hope you enjoy this Minnesota Tradition.
