Recipe Rescue: Tater Tot Casserole

by The Meal Makeover Moms on May 22nd, 2009

smiley-face-casserole-final

Tater Tot Casserole:  The name alone sounds downright unhealthy.  The words gooey and gloppy come immediately to mind as do mega high in fat.

Recently, our friends Vicky and Jen, hosts of the weekly radio podcast, What Really Matters, featured a Recipe Rescue “contest” on their blog.  They received a bunch of recipes — Creme Brulee French Toast, Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf, and Decadent Black Bottom Pie, but the one we ultimately chose for our “rescue” was Tater Tot Casserole.

Michelle, a mom from Cincinnati, Ohio, found the original recipe in her city’s newspaper. The ingredients included such things as Tater Tots, a pound of ground beef or turkey, shredded Cheddar cheese, a can of your favorite cream soup, and a stick of butter (can you believe it?).  The nutritional damage … nearly 450 calories per serving, 32 grams of fat, 15 grams of  saturated fat (that’s almost a day’s worth), and over 1,000 milligrams of sodium.

We had three goals for our makeover:  Lighten things up, add an extra veggie or two, and incorporate a surprising and fun element for Michelle’s daughter.  Here’s what we did:

  • To cut the saturated fat and sodium we used a lower fat/lower sodium cream of mushroom soup, 1% lowfat milk, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, and lean ground beef (lean turkey or veggie crumbles works great too), and we gave that stick of butter the boot.
  • For our veggie addition, we added coarsely chopped mushrooms and a shredded carrot.
  • To bring a smile to everyone’s face, we switched from Tater Tots to potato Smiles.

smiley-face-casserole-ingredients

Smiley Face Casserole
Makes 10 to 12 Servings

  • One 26-ounce bag frozen potato Smiles (we used McCain)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
  • One 8-ounce package presliced mushrooms (or 8 ounces whole mushrooms), coarsely chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean or higher), ground turkey, or 12 ounces veggie crumbles
  • 1 large carrot, shredded (about 1 cup)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • One 10.75 ounce can lower fat, lower sodium cream of mushroom soup (we used Healthy Request)
  • 10.75 ounces (fill the empty soup can) 1% lowfat milk
  • 8 ounces (2 cups) preshredded, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Bake the potato Smiles according to package directions.  When done, remove from oven and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add the meat, carrot, and garlic powder and cook, breaking up the large pieces, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess fat.

4. Stir in the soup, milk, and, 1 ½ cups of the cheese (the mixture will seem very liquidy at this point, but don’t worry) and heat until the mixture comes to a simmer.

5. Arrange half the Smiles on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Top with the meat mixture, the remaining half cup of cheese, and the remaining potato Smiles. Cover loosely with aluminum foil, and bake until the mixture is bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving:  270 calories, 13g fat (4.5g saturated), 550mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 18g protein, 40% A, 20% calcium

adding-smiles-to-casserole1

Thanks to those cute potato Smiles, we had a blast giving Michelle’s recipe a “rescue.”  If you have an opportunity to try it, please share your feedback right here on the blog.  Also, if you’d like to see more photos, check out our flickr page.

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9 Comments | Filed Under Beef, Dinner, Potatoes, RecipeRescue 

9 Responses to “Recipe Rescue: Tater Tot Casserole”

  1. Vicky Thornton on May 22nd, 2009

    You two always put a smile on my face! It sure was fun doing a rescue with you! You did a fabulous job as always – Vicky

  2. Genie on May 22nd, 2009

    Even though I don’t have kids…I’ve got to say…this is adorable, and sounds delicious!

  3. Ann on May 22nd, 2009

    So glad you picked this recipe to makeover! I have one similiar that is the exact same unhealthy version. Is there anything that can be substitured for mushrooms if your family is not crazy about mushrooms? I remember seeing another make over of it somewhere and they had peas. Any suggestions?

  4. Liz on May 24th, 2009

    Hi Ann,
    You could certainly add peas but that seems a bit starchy to me. You may want to replace the mushrooms with an additional 1/2 cup carrots OR saute up some baby spinach (a small bag) in olive oil, chop it up, and then stir that in. If you make the recipe, let us know what kind of reaction you get from your family.

  5. BostonDad on May 26th, 2009

    This was a fun recipe the kids loved. Keep those makeovers coming?

  6. Karen Burback on May 27th, 2009

    Is this correct in the Smiley Face Casserole? 10.75 ounce (1 can) 1% lowfat milk ?

  7. Janice on May 27th, 2009

    Yes, Karen it is. After you add the 10.75-ounce can of cream of mushroom soup you fill the empty can up with 1% milk and add that to the mixture. It does read a little funny- as if 1% milk comes in cans!

  8. Leslie on July 24th, 2009

    My 2-year-old loved the smiley face potatoes. My husband also thought that this was better than a regular tator tot casserole. I liked that it was healthier too!

  9. elle on August 24th, 2009

    I’ve never made a tater tot casserole with meat before. We have too many vegetarians in the group. Ours is mostly cheddar cheese, sour cream, a creamy soup and french fried onions on the top. It’s definitely a sometimes food, for when we’re feeling especially southern.

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