Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients
1 pound bacon, sliced
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 cans (10 ¹⁄₂ ounces each) condensed cream of mushroom soup (I use Healthy Request)
¹⁄₂ pound cheddar cheese, shredded
32 ounces frozen tater tots

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Prepare 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large frying pan or saucepan, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain.

3. Using the same pan, brown the ground beef. Remove ground beef, leaving oil in pan, and drain.

4. Sauté chopped onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes.

5. In a large bowl, mix together bacon, beef, onion mixture, thyme and soup. Spread in a layer in the prepared dish. Spread cheese over the top and then cover with tater tots. Bake for 1 hour or until dish is heated through and tater tots are crispy. 

Comments
This is a classic trashy meal and oh-so-delicious.  It’s great on a cold evening when you can take advantage of the oven being on for an hour and heating up your home.

Shown here with mustard greens sauteed in bacon fat (from step 2 of the recipe above) and lots of minced garlic.

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