Our granddaughter and her father recently made a whirlwind trip to help her with her final decision about college. That meant our usual Sunday Family Dinner was changed to simple stir fry, and on return of the travelers Carol made a celebratory steak dinner for her family. Susan and I thought it was important for that to be a special time for parents and children, so we planned our own meal. A few days before that, Susan had plunked on my desk a recipe she had torn out of a magazine. It was for a combination of turkey and tater tots, and I took the message that Susan wanted to give it a try. So I went to the store for frozen tater tots and canned beans. Instead of turkey, though, I used some franks and diced ham that were in the refrigerator. The result was definitely not gourmet eating, but it wound up tasting better than either Susan or I had anticipated. The next day we got to give our granddaughter a big hug and our congratulations.
RECIPE
Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 28 ounce can baked beans
- 4 beef frankfurters, cut into ½-inch slices
- 8 ounces diced ham
- 6 small crimini mushrooms, chopped
- 4 scallions, white and green, sliced
- 2 ounces, cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 pound frozen tater tots (about)
Method
- Combine the baked beans, frankfurters, ham, mushrooms, and scallions and pour into a baking dish.
- Sprinkle the top of the mixture with grated cheese and arrange the tater tots on top of the cheese.
- Bake in the middle of a preheated oven at 350°F for 45 minutes or until the tater tots are browned and crisp.
- Serve while still warm.
From the Family Table 