You asked for it, so here it is—the Tater Tot Casserole! This casserole is certainly not anything I imagined sharing with you here at Lark, but since I made it for my family’s dinner table and posted a quick photo, there was a huge demand for the recipe. The New York Times recently shined the spotlight on this Midwestern casserole in a remake that gained lots of attention. Chrissy Teigen even made the casserole the evening after I did. (Pretty sure she got the idea from me.) I made this casserole dairy-free, so it is worth sharing because it fulfills some childhood nostalgia and comfort for so many people that, like me, need this warm classic this season.
Dairy-Free Tater Tot Casserole
Serves 6 for dinner
1 pound ground beef or chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons vegan butter (Lark Loves Country Crock Plant Butter)
¼ cup gluten-free flour (Lark Loves Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1)
1 ½ cups dairy-free milk
¾ cup water
2 teaspoons bouillon (Lark Loves Better than Boullion Chicken or Beef)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
2 cups frozen corn
1 ½ pounds tater tots
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a cast-iron skillet, over medium heat, combine olive oil and butter and stir until combined.
Add the ground meat and stir often until browned and meat is in small pieces (about 10 minutes).
Move the meat from the pan to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess grease.
Over medium heat and without wiping the pan of oil, sprinkle ¼ cup flour over the entire pan and quickly whisk for one minute.
Slowly add the milk while whisking, until the mixture gets very thick. Continue to whisk while adding water and work to ensure there are no lumps in the sauce.
Add bouillon and whisk again until combined, then add salt and pepper.
Stir meat back into the sauce, add corn, then stir until combined.
Add tater tots by placing them over the meat mixture. (I like to place them in a circular pattern to cover the top, but this is not necessary.)
Pop the casserole in the oven for 30 minutes or until the sides are bubbly and tots are golden brown.
Find more great food recipes in my second book, Lark Parties! #livinglark
