Good old Tater Tot Casserole is a classic hotdish. The ingredients are simple and easy to find, so it's hard to mess it up. If you want to elevate this humble dish and make it even more delicious and eye-appealing, try it in a cast iron skillet. It's an "ironclad" game changer.
Cast iron is ideal for recipes that start on the stove and end in the oven. It can be used for frying and baking, looks amazing, and makes everything you serve in it look special and extra attractive. Cast iron is a dense metal, tough as nails, and it holds and distributes heat so well that it honestly makes everything look and taste better.
I'm an absolute sucker for good old American ingenuity and creativity! So before I start telling you how to make this yummy dish, let me tell you about tater tots! It's a great story (if you are a bit of a nerd like me!)
In 1953, two brothers from Idaho (of course,) F. Nephi Grigg and Golden Grigg, founders of the Ore-Ida frozen food company, dreamed up an ingenious way of using the little slivers of potato leftover from manufacturing frozen french fries. Tater tots were created from those scraps.
Originally, the shavings were sold as livestock feed, but one day in 1953, the brothers decided to add flour and seasonings to those slivers, push the mixture through a tubular extruder, cut it into little pellets, fry them in oil, and freeze them. Voila! Tater Tots!
The term “tater tot” is a proprietary name owned by Ore-Ida. It was created in the 1950s by a member of the Ore-Ida research committee. Clora Lay Orton won a contest to choose the name.
Tater tots were first sold commercially in 1956. The name "tater tot" is a registered trademark of Ore-Ida, but it's often used as a generic term for the tasty nuggets.
Americans consume 70 million pounds of tater tots yearly, which translates to 192,000 pounds of tots every day of the year!
Begin by browning a pound of ground beef in a cast iron skillet. Season it the way your family likes it, but I suggest using seasoned salt, pepper, instant minced onion, and garlic powder. Let the hamburger brown just a bit because that caramelization (see: Maillard reaction) adds so much great flavor. Drain excess fat.
Next, add one can of undiluted cream of mushroom soup and, to give the dish a wonderful umami flavor, add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce! You can even add a little more if you like!
Drain a can of French-cut green beans and spread it evenly over the meat mixture. I suggest French-cut because they ensure some beans in every bite of tater tot casserole!
All that's left to do is put the tater tots on top! You could add a layer of grated cheese before you add the tater tots. Sharp cheddar cheese would be my pick if you choose to add some!
I like to arrange the tots in a single layer, but you don't have to! If you add more tater tots, make sure you bake the casserole long enough for them to get good and crispy.
Even if it's just for Papa and me, I always garnish things with a little parsley! Somehow, everything tastes better when it looks pretty!
The final secret to making a good tater tot casserole into a great one is to make sure the tots have plenty of time in the oven to get fully crispy! Seriously, it's a game-changer! Our grandkids are connoisseurs of this simple dish and will always fuss remark 😉 if the tots are underdone!!
Few things "hit the spot" for dinner than good old tater tot casserole! It's a complete meal, but I often like to have some simple canned biscuits with honey or crescent rolls with jam alongside it.
By the way, does anyone else still make Jello? We quite often have sugar-free jello with unsweetened fruit as a side. Yes, we are old-fashioned, but it still tastes great!
You can make and bake this recipe in a 9" or 10" cast iron skillet! It's a classic hot dish made with hamburger and a few simple ingredients, and it's a favorite with kids of all ages!
Papa and I eat very simply and run on what we call "plan-overs." Here are some of our favorite simple one-pan dinners, which are so easy on the cook and reheat beautifully! Skillet Ham and Scalloped Potatoes, One-Pan American Goulash, Hamburger Noodle Hot Dish, and Baked Spaghetti Pie.
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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Love this dish although I’ve never made it in a cash iron skillet. Looking forward to making it your way. You sound like a very kind and friendly cook. So glad I found you. Keep the delicious recipes coming.
Thank you,
Kathleen L Bentz
Well gosh, thanks! I am a "seasoned citizen", and I'be been cooking since I could see over the stove! I love feeding people, it makes me happy! I strive for simple, unfussy recipes and I love passing along tips to make things taste better! Our grandkids bought me a sign that hangs ove my stove. It says, "if you feed them, they will come!" Now I love sending food to them in college! Stay tuned and welcome!!