This is Molly’s spin on the quintessential midwestern classic tot hotdish, which is a protein, vegetable, starch and something to bind/hold it altogether. She uses ground beef (obviously), green beans, a homemade cream soup base and then covers in tots. She says it’s hearty and comforting, everything you want on a cold day.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (13 grams) neutral oil
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- 2 pounds (908 grams) ground beef, 93% lean
- 12 ounces (340 grams) frozen chopped green beans
- 1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) pale ale (or sub 1/4 cup/60 grams low-sodium chicken stock)
- 2 1/4 cups (540 grams) low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) heavy cream
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 pounds (908 grams) frozen Tater Tots
- If you’re feeling wild: a few big handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
- If you’re feeling fancy: chopped flat- leaf parsley, for topping
- If you’re feeling like you and I should be BFFs: ketchup, for serving
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees F.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the ground beef and season it with 1 teaspoon of salt. Brown the beef, breaking it up with a spoon or spatula. Stir in the green beans and cook for a few minutes, until thawed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish and spread it out evenly. Set aside while you make the creamed soup.
- Discard the juices that remain in the skillet, wipe it out, and return to medium heat. Melt the butter and whisk in the flour to make a paste. Cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. 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. Whisk in the heavy cream, a bunch of turns of black pepper, the thyme, and the nutmeg. 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. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Pour or ladle the mixture all over the ground beef and fold together to incorporate. 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.
- Bake 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). If you want to get the tots even crispier, finish with a few minutes under the broiler. Let cool slightly, top with parsley, and/or serve with ketchup if desired.
- 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, wrap in plastic or foil, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook. It’ll last 2 days in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer. If reheating from the fridge, proceed as directed but add on a few more minutes in the oven to ensure that it’s heated through. To reheat from frozen, cover loosely with foil (tent it if there’s cheese on top), and bake at 350 degrees F for an hour, then uncover, increase the heat to 450 degrees F, and bake until the crackers are golden brown and the innards are heated through; begin checking for doneness at 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 494 |
| Total Fat | 37 g |
| Saturated Fat | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 15 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 24 g |
| Cholesterol | 116 mg |
| Sodium | 669 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 494 |
| Total Fat | 37 g |
| Saturated Fat | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 15 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 24 g |
| Cholesterol | 116 mg |
| Sodium | 669 mg |
Reviews
This was my first time making tater tot hot dish & it was delish! The thought of cream of “anything” soup makes my stomach turn so I love that the cream base is from scratch. I used mixed frozen veggies instead of only green beans and added shredded sharp cheddar under the tots. Tonight it’s a chilly 19 degrees & this comfort food hit the spot. I used Lonely Blonde Pale Ale.
This recipe was fantastic! I substituted mixed vegetable instead of green beans and added cheddar cheese before topping with the tots and it was delicious!
This was delicious! Making it again for a second time tomorrow per family request. This will be a regular in the dinner rotation!
This dish was absolutely delicious. I will never add the red and white canned soup to a TTHD again – It was just too easy to make it from scratch. The green beans were a PERFECT addition. My husband is still talking about this dinner! Thank you Molly!!
I never heard of a “hot dish” before seeing Molly make this on Rachael Ray and Gurl Meets Farm. Since my family is not a green bean fan, I sautéed fresh mushrooms and added them to the meat mixture. I also added cheddar as suggested.
This was such a treat! So different! Everyone enjoyed this and I will be making this again soon!
This was such a treat! So different! Everyone enjoyed this and I will be making this again soon!
A classic that kids and husband loved