Cooktop Cove: Confession: I'm kind of addicted to this dish
By Lindsay Mattison
If I'm ever feeling overwhelmed about putting dinner on the table, I turn to tater tot casserole. I almost always have a bag in the freezer, so it's easy to build a meal around them. Then, I just need to look around the kitchen to fill in the rest. Any protein will work - ground beef, a can of tuna fish, or leftover shredded chicken. To make the recipe below, I happened to have a package of hot dogs and some baked beans on hand, and just like that, dinner was served.
You can make so many different versions of tater tot casserole, but this version has certainly become a family favorite. It is a little bit spicy from the chili powder and a little bit sweet from the baked beans. The hot dogs are already perfectly spiced so you don't really need to do anything to make them taste good! It's a great, quick-and-easy weeknight dinner.
Chili Dog Tator Tot Casserole
Ingredients
1 package hot dogs, cut into bite sized pieces
1 (15 ounce) can baked beans
1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
1 (32 ounce) package frozen tater tots
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray or butter and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the hot dogs, baked beans, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, garlic, and onions. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until everything is heated through.
3. Pour the chili mixture into the prepared baking dish and top it with 2 cups of cheese.
4. Add the tater tots on top of the cheese, placing them so they are close together without overlapping. You may not need the entire package.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, until the tots are golden brown.
6. Add the cheese and set broiler to High. Broil until the cheese is melted.
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