Tater Tot Shepard's Pie

This Tater Tot Casserole recipe is an easy kid-friendly twist on Shepherd's Pie that pleases everyone with its crispy tater tots, melty cheese, and beefy filling! Parents will appreciate the fact that nutritious veggies are mixed in and that it's a perfect meal-in-one. Try it on the "meat and potatoes" lovers in YOUR family!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey, browned and drained
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can mixed vegetables, drained, or 3/4 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 1 pinch each salt and pepper
• Frozen tater tots (a small bag will work and you won't need the whole thing)
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese or American style processed cheese
• Pam spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8 inch square dish with Pam. In a large bowl, mix the cooked ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, drained veggies, and salt and pepper. Spoon this mixture into the 8 inch dish, and level it out with the back of the spoon. Line frozen tater tots in rows touching one another on top of the meat mixture, and bake 25-30 minutes until the tots are done. Sprinkle with cheese right before the casserole comes out of the oven, and let the casserole sit about 5 minutes to make serving it easier.

* A fun "cheeseburger" variation is to use a can of condensed Cheddar cheese soup instead of cream of mushroom!

* This is easily doubled and baked in a 9x13 inch dish for larger families, and I've had good success freezing mine before baking the tots. Enjoy!

Source: This version is my own twist!

By Melody from El Dorado, AR