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Writer's pictureBecky

Beef & Tater Bake - Weeknight Ease

So, contrary to popular belief, I actually sometimes don't overdo it in the kitchen. No, seriously. I'm just as prone to whip up a box of mac and cheese or can of tomato soup just like everyone else. In fact, I actually like it at times, but I will tell you there is nothing exciting about it...which is why I also look to find hidden gems, little whip up quick meals that aren't a bear to prepare but actually look and taste like a meal. Which brings me to this evening...


Since Dave began working nights, I began to look at the few meals I shared with the kids as a chance to prepare dishes that he would never eat. He hates "hot fruit" with meat, so that avenue was wide open. He's not a big fan of anything in the crockpot, so I found a few of those to try. Casseroles and items that are all mixed together are not a real winner either. And he can't stand when anything "crunches" in his food - and that is a tough one to get around. Even simple onions poses a problem for most meals.


But with him absent for tonight's dinner, it was all hands on deck for this - Beef and Tater Bake! Ta-da!



French fried onions and Monterey Jack cheese top off this quick tasty casserole.

Well, not really ta-da. This is not gourmet food by any stretch of the imagination, but it does have three things going for it.

1. I had almost all of the ingredients lying around in the cupboards or freezer (with the exception of French Fried Onions - seriously, like, who stocks those?)

2. It went together very quickly, 10 minutes prep to oven and cooked in 30 while I wrote this.

3. It smelled amazing - not in a "great steak" kind of way, but in a "damn good Shepherd's Pie" kind of way, and that was the plan. It was absolutely tasty for a weeknight meal. If I were to make any change, it would be more liquid of some sort as the tater tots and FF onions drew a lot of the moisture, Oddly, the tater tots mimicked the taste and texture of mashed potatoes, with zero the work.



Base layer of preheated tots



Heated filling gets spread on the tater tot base

The drawbacks were one - the heat and humidity of today (scorching July day) did not call for turning my oven on to 400 degrees for any reason, let alone to prep a throw-together casserole. But, as most of you know, I commit to my meal plan a week in advance, and although I try to anticipate weather and make accommodations (cold salads or meals on the grill) - I'm not perfect. So, with sweat running down my temple and my shirt sticking to my back, I will share with you this recipe for Beef & Tater Bake. (Just save it for a cooler day - October is only 75 days away!)


 



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