Beef & Tater Bake

I love this affordable, quick & easy recipe. Not only is it easy on your budget, but it makes for easy clean up as well. There is a ton of room in this recipe for substitutions and it makes enough for lunch the next day. Most ingredients were already in my kitchen and I was able to make this wonderful, filling dinner for only $11.95. If you are a full time working mom, this is the weekday dinner recipe for you!

Beef & Tater Bake
Cost Per Serving: $2.99
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 cups frozen Tater Tots
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 package (16 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of broccoli soup, undiluted
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 can (2.8 ounces) French-fried onions, divided
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/3 cup 2% milk
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Substitutions: I used 8 ounces of chopped cauliflower and 8 ounces of chopped broccoli. My son is not a fan of broccoli, but loves cauliflower, so I did half and half. The original recipe said this makes 14 servings. With the way my husband eats, it was more like 5.

Step #1: Preheat the oven to 400º. Place the 4 cups of frozen Tater Tots on an ungreased 13×9-in. baking dish. Bake them uncovered for 10 minutes.

Step #2:  While the Tater Tots are cooking, cook the beef in a large skillet. Cook the beef over medium heat until it's no longer pink and then drain. Stir in broccoli, soup, tomato, 3/4 cup French-fried onions, 1/2 cup cheese, milk, garlic powder and pepper. Heat the combined ingredients all the way through.

Step #3: Take the Tater Tots out of the oven and place them in baking dish. Grab the heated mixture and pour it over the Tater Tots.

Step #4: Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining French Onions and cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This is my go-to recipe. After working a full day, I just don't feel like cooking sometimes.  This recipe is so fast and easy, I literally keep it on the side of my fridge for easy access. It's a dish I can prepare once a week without my family getting sick of it. We also like to serve this recipe with corn chips. It has a great consistency for dipping and allows us to use it in various ways.

You can find the original recipe HERE

Do you have a go-to recipe you would like to share with other busy moms? Please share it in the comments below!