A fresh spin on classic comfort food. This hearty meal is a crowd-pleaser— golden brown buttery onions, generously seasoned ground beef, a mouth-watering blend of flavors + textures, and a delicious layer of melty cheese on top. If you are from the Midwest, you pretty much need to add this meal to your recipe box. And if you’re not from the Midwest, well… maybe you’ve never even heard of tater tot casserole and therefore, you must try! This meal is super simple + easy, but far from boring. Enjoy!

French Onion Tater Tot Casserole

Serving Size: 5-6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 lbs frozen tater tots
• 6 cloves (about 3 teaspoons) minced garlic
• 1 cup vegetable broth (or broth of choice)
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari if gluten-free)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons flour (or 1 tablespoon cornstarch if gluten-free)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and coat a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for about 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Using the same pan, add the ground beef, thyme, bay leaves, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, and cook over medium heat. After 5 minutes, make a small opening in the center of the pan and add minced garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes and then stir in with the beef.
4. Add vegetable broth, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to the pan with the beef. Sprinkle in the flour (or cornstarch), stir together, and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens. About 2-4 minutes.
5. Stir in the sour cream, 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, and half of the onions you cooked in the first step. Stir until melty and well combined, then spread into bottom of casserole dish. Top with another 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, entire bag of tater tots, remaining half of onions, and asiago cheese.
6. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Then, sprinkle remaining one cup of cheddar cheese on top and cook for 10 additional minutes or until cheese is melty. Enjoy!