Tater Tot Casserole

I am always on the lookout for ways to incorporate tater tots into my daily life.  Thus, when I ran across Zsu Dever's Everyday Vegan Eats and saw that it had a tater tot casserole recipe, well, add another cookbook to the pile.

This book is newly published and I can't find the recipe posted anywhere online, so this pic and write-up will have to suffice.  And, to add insult to injury, the library does not have this book, so I was forced to purchase it sight unseen.  I'm happy with it so far and have several recipes in the queue to try.  The recipes are comforting, straightforward and not too complicated.

But, really, how bad could a recipe be that features tater tots?  I liked it well enough, but I'm not convinced on the soy curls.  I still have that old tater tot casserole recipe stuck in my head and my taste buds--you know the one with hamburger, cream of mushroom soup and tater tots.  While I don't miss the hamburger or crave it at all, I kept trying to think of something besides the soy curls that I'd want in this casserole.  The soy curls were fine, don't get me wrong, but they just weren't quite right.  I know for sure that I wouldn't use burger crumbles because I don't like them in much of anything.  Mushrooms would definitely be great in this..  Maybe green beans.  But I'll experiment and see what I can come up with.

I had this for breakfast this morning, if that tells you anything.

Texas Tater Tot Casserole

So I've been perusing "Betty Goes Vegan" the last couple of weeks.  I'm still wavering on whether I want to permanently add it to my stash.  Anyway, the companion blog from the authors has been a favorite of mine for awhile.

I was craving comfort food and what says comfort better than tater tots?  This tater tot casserole isn't that of the ground beef/cream of mushroom soup/tater tot casserole (or hot dish, as they'd say in Minnesota), but it sure is comforting.

A better, more appetizing pic can be found here, along with the recipe.  But since I aim to be a one-stop shop, I'll post the recipe here as well.  Make it, eat it, love it.

Texas Tater Tot Casserole

• 1 Can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 Can Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 2 14oz Cans Diced Tomatoes (Mexican Style, drained)
• 3/4 Cup Frozen Corn
• 1-2 Fresh Jalapenos (sliced - how much you add depends on how hot you want it to be)
• 1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper (diced)
• 1/2 Orange Bell Pepper (diced)
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro (diced)
• 1/2 Red Onion (diced)
• 2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Braggs
• 2 teaspoons Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Hot Sauce (you can add more if you want more heat)
• 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
• 2 Pinches of Paprika
• 1 1/2 Cups Daiya Vegan Pepperjack Cheese (shredded)
• 2 Cups Frozen Tater Tots

Heat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except Daiya and Tater Tots. Put the Chili mix into a casserole dish. Then sprinkle an even layer of Daiya over that and then an even layer of Tater Tots over that.

Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until your Tater Tots are a sweet golden brown.