Tator Tot Hotdish // My Original Recipe!

Sorry, I didn't take a picture of my meals..... Because I was too eager to eat..

My boyfriend and I love tator tot hotdish! Everyone I work with who has tried this has asked me to make some and bring the pan in for lunch. I cannot tell you how many times I've given this recipe to others.
I just made a batch last night and we had it today for lunch and supper.. MMMmm....
Granted, it's not the most healthy dish out there, it sure is delicious and easy to make! I love it, Slade loves it, and his momma loves it so much she calls it,

Hannah's Infamous Tator-Tot Hotdish

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger
1 (large) bag of tots
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons sour cream [or more if preferred, like me.. I use about 1/3 container!]
1 can corn, drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese [divided]
1 1/2 can cream of chicken soup [or mushroom- both taste good]
about 1 teaspoon minced onion flakes [or to taste]
Pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (375 works well, too)
Brown hamburger in large frying pan. Add all ingredients to hamburger in frying pan EXCEPT for 1 cup of cheese and tator tots. Stir all ingredients together on medium heat until thoroughly mixed and/or cheese is melting.
In 9x13 baking pan, place 1/2 bag of t-tots on bottom. (You don't need to spray the bottom!) I usually make the entire bottom of the pan into a wall of tator tots and just sprinkle the few I've got left on the top later!
Once all ingredients are well mixed together, layer over the tots in baking pan. Place the rest of the tots on top of mixture and sprinkle remainder of cheese on top!
Bake uncovered for 25-40 minutes.. I know this seems like a huge gap, but baking time varies on what kind of tator tots you are using. Basically, bake until the tots are done and heated through! (nice and soft, not crunchy/hard when chewing)

Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut and serve.

I love making double batches, too! When making a double, the baking pan you use can be the same size; but be warned that it will be HEAVY and very full!!
I can never let it stand for 5 minutes.. I just pull it out and start eating right away! This hotdish is seriously one of my all-time favorites. I'm so happy with my creation! I know there are many out there similar to mine, but when I started, I never really went off of a recipe with this.. I just threw everything together and added some sour cream. The sour cream is honestly what does the trick and makes it taste so much better than other TT-Hotdishes I've ever had. After making it once, you'll be able to just guesstimate and throw in the ingredients so it's exactly how you want it to taste.

hannahvictoria