Garden Harvest Tater Tot Casserole

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Garden Harvest Tater Tot Casserole

As the summer garden winds down, this Garden Harvest Tater Tot Casserole is the perfect fall dinner for using your end-of-season veggies! This childhood favorite is made completely from scratch with garden carrots, green beans, lots of fresh herbs and greens, and no condensed soup. Hearty and comforting, we make this recipe again and again!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 640kcal

Author: Meryl Downing

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
½ onion (1 cup chopped)
3 carrots (1 cup chopped)
½ zucchini (1 cup shredded)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 grinds fresh black pepper
¼ cup flour
1½ cups green beans (ends trimmed and chopped in half inch pieces)
¼ cup fresh garden herbs and greens (could include thyme, parsley, sage, chives, rosemary, basil, oregano, spinach or kale)
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups beef stock
1 cup whole milk
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
32 ounces frozen tater tots

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Chop all vegetables and prepare ingredients. Slice the carrots in half lengthwise, or quarters if they are thicker, then slice them thin.
In a large skillet (you can use an oven safe skillet that can also bake the casserole, or transfer the filling to a baking dish later) over medium heat, begin to brown the beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
After a couple minutes, move the browning beef to one side of the skillet and add the onion, carrot, and zucchini to the other side. Use the fat from the beef to saute the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir occasionally, breaking up the beef. Keep the beef and veggies to separate sides of the skillet as best you can, about 12 minutes.
When the beef is fully cooked and the veggies softened, add the flour, green beans, fresh herbs and greens, and garlic. Stir everything well and cook another minute.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, beef stock and milk. Reduce the heat to medium low and bring the liquid to a simmer to thicken, about 15 minutes. Whisk often to thicken the filling.
When the liquid has thickened, turn the burner off. You can transfer the filling to a casserole dish, or bake it right in the skillet if it is oven safe. Sprinkle the top evenly with cheese. Add the frozen tater tots in an even layer over the top, squeeze in as many as you can!
Bake at 400℉ for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the tots are browned and crispy and the filling is hot and bubbly. You can broil the top a few minutes if you want the tots crispier. If your baking dish is very full, put a sheet pan under it in the oven to catch any drips.
Let sit on the stovetop 5 or 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped chives or thyme.

Notes

Garden green beans can be substituted with 1 cup frozen peas.
Sub Frozen Veggies - All the veggies could be substituted with 4 cups of frozen veggies. Add them when the beef is fully browned.
Beef stock could be swapped with chicken or vegetable stock.
Heavy cream or half & half could be used instead of milk for a richer casserole.
Fresh herbs and greens could be subbed with 1 teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning blend.
Don't Drain the Fat - The fat from the beef does not need to be drained and is used to saute the vegetables and combines with the flour to thicken the filling. If you prefer to drain the fat, add 1 or 2 Tablespoons of butter to the browned beef and vegetables. I use 80/20 ground beef.
The Right Dish - If you make the filling in an oven safe skillet, like a Dutch oven or a large cast iron skillet, you can add the cheese and tater tots and bake it in the same pan. Or transfer the filling to a large baking dish, or you can even use 2 smaller dishes if serving a small group and freeze one for later. If your dish is very full, you may want to put a sheet pan under it in the oven to catch any bubble over!

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