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!
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.
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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