Cheesy Tater Tot Dinner Pie: Ground beef or turkey and veggies baked in a cheese bechamel sauce and topped with crispy Tater Tots!
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bechamel, cheese, tater tots
Servings: 8people
Author: Portlandia Pie Lady
Ingredients
Meat & Veggie Filling & Tot Topping
One2 lb.bag frozen Tater Tots
1.25lb.ground beef, turkey, or 50/50 beef & pork or turkey
1cupchopped onions
12oz. frozen veggies(or 2 cups of fresh veggies of choice, i.e.,carrots, green beans, peas, etc.)
1/2cupwater
1/2cupshredded Tillamook cheddar, gruyere, or gouda cheese (for assembling, not for sauce)
Bechamel Cheese Sauce**
2tablespoons butter
2tablespoons all purpose flour(or gluten free blend)
1-1/4cupmilk
1/4 teaspoon season salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or moreto taste)1
1-1/2cupshredded Tillamook cheddar cheese
Instructions
Meat & Veggie Filling
Preheat Oven to 375 F.
In a skillet, brown the meat of choice with thechopped onions until meat is no longer pink.
Add the frozen mixed veggies and 1/2 cup water to the browned meat & onions, bring to a simmer. Simmer for 7 to 10 minutes until green beans are just barely fork tender and the water has evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside and prepare the cheese sauce.
Bechamel Cheese Sauce
In a sauce pan, over medium high heat, melt the butter and add in the flour. Whisk for about 1 minute while it sizzles.
Whisk in the the milk, cooking and whisking constantly until the mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from heat, add in seasonings and cheese; stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce.
Assembly & Baking
Stir the cheese sauce into the beef-vegetable mixture. Place contents into a 10-inch deep dish pie plate or baking dish. Top with remaining shredded cheese of choice. Place frozen tots on top.
Bake uncovered at 375 F. for 45 minutes.
Notes
**If making the bechamel sauce is more than you bargained for, I would substitute a can of cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup. Add 1/3 cup milk and warm up in sauce pan to simmering and add in cheese to melt.