I have been making tator tot casserole since the 80s. I brown my meat and onion, drain off grease. Mix a can of vegall, cream soups together. Add meat mixture to blend it all. Season well. Put in casserole, (cheese optional) TOP WITH TATOR TOTS. Bake for 45-50 minutes. I don't like the tots inside because they are too mushy.
Pro Tip: You lost me with Campbell's condensed chicken soup, all condensed soups have a nasty aftertaste. Replace with one package of Knorr chicken gravy mix using one 15 1/2 oz can chicken broth to prepare. Using a bowl gently fold all ingredient's together then add to baking dish. Top with tots, bake, finish with cheese. Thank you for sharing!!
I am a simple-minded person so when I make mine I cook the ground beef with onion then I use green beans as the only vegetable season with salt and pepper top with tater rounds and bake it at 450° until it bubbles up about 35 minutes or so. But I'm going to try it your way it looks yummy
@Edgar Pot Cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom or celery) soup is a very common addition to casseroles. It adds flavor and it thickens. It adds moisture and sticks the ingredients together. Otherwise, it would just be meat and veggies mixed together in a baking dish. Without a moist binder, the dish would dry out.
It's preformed little nuggets of grated potatoes that are crispy on the outside. They come frozen. They're a weird little cultural phenomenon that has been around since the 80's. Kind of the epitome of "not fancy" cooking.
