Chili Tater Tot Casserole

KissaMew's Note:

I looked at Tater Tot casseroles on Recipezaar to see if there was one like this, and I didn't find a recipe. A friend of mine told me how she makes the casserole and the other recipe's are similar to hers. But what do you do when you want potatoes and chili? Use what brands you like, this is what I picked up in the grocery. Big casserole for a big crowd or left overs.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 6-8

Yield: 1.0 casserole

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 (40 ounce) can dennison's chili con carne
• 3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 (28 ounce) bag ore ida extra crispy tater tots
• 1 dash Tabasco sauce, here and there

Directions:

1. In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, brown the ground beef and ground turkey together. Season as you like.
2. I used a 13 x 9 oval Pyrex casserole dish.
3. Put the meats in the casserole dish.
4. Pour the can of chili over the meats and blend together, pat down into the dish.
5. Sprinkle the grated cheese liberally over the meat-chili mix, create a NICE layer of cheese.
6. Pour the Tater Tots out of the bag onto the top off the cheese and even them out so they heat evenly, sprinkle a little seasoning over the top if you like.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 to 40 minute, until tater tot are heated and cheese is melted.
8. Scoop onto platters and serve.

Reviews

[SweetSueAl]

I absolutely loved this recipe. It was easy peasy! Since there are only 3 of us, I halved the recipe (and still had a serving leftover)! I used 1 pound of ground beef, a 20 ounce can of chili (with beans) and tater tots that covered the top. Since we like our tots really crispy, I baked for 1 full hour. It was great! I am reheating the leftovers for my dinner tonight! Thanks for posting the great recipe. Best Dishes, Sue

[Sam #3]

Since I only had one small can of chili, I mixed it up a little... I added an extra can of kidney beans, a can of cheddar cheese soup and about a cup of corn. This made 1 large casserole for supper and 2 single serve casseroles for the freezer.

[CindiJ]

This was very easy to put together and great after a long day of driving. I was really hoping we were going to love this dish, but have to say it was just OK. Made as written and seasoned according to our tastes but it just wasn't quite what we were looking for. Leftovers were a bit better, we garnished with a little sour cream and chopped green onion with fresh chopped tomatoes. That did help punch up the flavors quite a bit.