Let cool, wrap in plastic or foil, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook. TO MAKE AHEAD: Complete the steps up through topping with tots (and cheese, if using), assembling in a 9 x 13-inch metal casserole dish. Let cool slightly, top with parsley, and/or serve with ketchup, if desired. If you want to get the tots even crispier, finish with a few minutes under the broiler. Top with perfectly aligned rows and columns of Tater Tots (adding a layer of cheese under or over the tots, if desired) and season with salt and pepper.īake until the tots are golden brown and crispy on top begin checking for doneness at 35 minutes (or a few minutes earlier if you have cheese on top).

Pour or ladle the mixture all over the ground beef and fold together to incorporate. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.

Increase the heat and continue whisking frequently until it just begins to simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Whisk in the heavy cream, a bunch of turns of black pepper, the thyme, and the nutmeg. Whisk in the pale ale, then add the chicken stock very gradually, in 3 or 4 additions, whisking continuously and allowing the mixture to thicken before each addition. Melt the butter and whisk in the flour to make a paste. Set aside while you make the creamed soup.ĭiscard the juices that remain in the skillet, wipe it out, and return to medium heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish and spread it out evenly. Stir in the green beans and cook for a few minutes, until thawed. Brown the beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the ground beef and season it with 1 teaspoon salt. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. I get my personal freak on by covering my whole bowl with ketchup, which both cools it down so I can eat it faster without burning my mouth and adds bright acidity.' -Mollyįor more popular recipes from Molly, check out her Chocolate Sea Salt Rugelach and Sesame Coffee Cake.Īrrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450☏. Frozen French fries can be subbed for tots, and ground turkey or that new meatless meat can be subbed for beef. While we don't typically add cheese, many families around here do, either under the tots or on top. I've added just a couple of tiny extra sparks-some beer for acidity and nutmeg for warmth-but nothing to take away from the nostalgia of it all. My version forgoes store-bought creamed soup for a velvety smooth sauce you make yourself, ideally with dreamy homemade stock as the base (but store-bought is great, too). All it needs is love and good tot arrangement. It doesn't need anything fancy, no specialty this or that even adding parsley at the end sometimes feels wrong (but, hey, we are living in the Instagram age, so do it if you want). There's a reason it's a classic, and that it's as comforting as cuddles from a big furry puppy. but no new spin on a hotdish will ever come as close to giving Nick that new- Star-Wars-movie excitement as the classic: beef, creamed soup, flaccid veggies, tots. I will switch up the seasonings, sneak in vegetarian proteins, add 'trendy' vegetables, and, yeah, I'll eventually try to gracefully sprinkle in everything bagel seasoning. 'As a Tater Tot enthusiast with an endless desire to tinker, I will be experimenting with the hotdish equation until the cows come home. Cookbook author and Food Network's 'Girl Meets Farm' star Molly Yeh shares her version of the classic Midwestern meal called hotdish (typically ground beef, a starch-she uses Tater Tots-frozen green beans or peas and gravy or creamed soup baked in a casserole dish).

Buffalo chicken tater tot hotdish