Piggybacking -- sorry Wayne, I didn't get the original:

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Wed 23 Feb 2005 09:01:03a, Gal Called J.J. wrote in
> rec.food.cooking:

>> I finally got around to making this last night (I try to plan meals
>> and shopping for two week periods, so sometimes it takes a while
>> before I can try something). I put 2# raw ground chuck in the bottom
>> of a 9x13 inch baking dish, then layered with 15 oz. green beans, 16
>> oz. tater tots, two cans cream of mushroom soup, S&P and some
>> Worchestershire sauce, then 8 oz. sharp cheddar, grated. It was very
>> good, but I'm going to tweak it next time -- I definitely want to
>> brown the meat first (putting it in raw left way too much fat in the
>> dish, had to drain several times), and I want to mix the soup and
>> cheddar so the cheese doesn't turn into a crust. Also, DH wants more
>> tater tots, but I'm not so sure about that one...

> Do the tater tots lose their crispy crust in this dish?

The tater tots fall apart -- you'll get the occasional crispy bite,
but they're pretty gooey by the time it's all cooked. I'm thinking
about trying the tater crowns next time, they have more crunchy
surface. BTW, Tater Tots are over 50 this year:

http://ore-ida.com/tot_spot/

> I don't
> think I'd like it if they did...the same as I don't like gravy on
> French fries.

Oh, ick! Nope, the only thing I want on fries is either ketchup
or good tarter sauce, maybe some blue cheese dressing if they're
steak fries...

--
J.J. in WA ~ mom, vid gamer, novice cook ~
"You still haven't explained why the pool is
filled with elf blood." - Frylock, ATHF

In article >, kilikini
> wrote:

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> > On Wed 23 Feb 2005 09:01:03a, Gal Called J.J. wrote in
> > rec.food.cooking:
>
> >
> > Do the tater tots lose their crispy crust in this dish? I don't
> > think I'd like it if they did...the same as I don't like gravy on
> > French fries.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Wayne
>
> I agree with you, Wayne. I'd have to have 'em crunchy, but again, the
> ground beef doesn't sound all that appealing to me. Now, oven toasted tater
> tots on a freshly grilled burger, that I could see!
>
> kili
>
>
My tots were crisp for the most part, but using 1 lb. ground beef
browned and 1 can celery soup, the beef was granular--way too dry.
Moreover the undiluted soup did not sauce properly in the ground beef.

Don't know what I'll do next time, if there is one. Maybe half-brown
the meat and semi-dilute the soup. Using raw ground beef sort of scares
me.

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Wed 23 Feb 2005 09:01:03a, Gal Called J.J. wrote in
rec.food.cooking:
>
> > One time on Usenet, (Gal Called
J.J.)
> > said:
> >> One time on Usenet, Melba's Jammin' >
said:
> >
> >> > I have a vague memory of making this culinary delight by patting
out
> >> > a pound of raw ground beef into a pan (9x9 square maybe?) and
laying
> >> > some frozen Tater Tots on top and pouring a can of cream of
mushroom
> >> > soup over all of it before baking for half and hour or
something.
> >> > Does that sound familiar to anybody?
> >> >
> >> > I haven't done an extensive search for this -- the Tater Tot and
> >> > burger hotdish recipes I'm finding seem to involve cooking the
meat
> >> > first and I'm pretty sure that what I did used raw meat.
> >> >
> >> > Bring it.
> >>
> >> Oh yeah, my second stepfather made something like this and we
loved
> >> it! I remember that he used a square casserole dish (probably 9x9
as
> >> you said), the ingredients were layered, and grated cheddar was
put
> >> over the top. I'm 99% certain that he didn't cook the ground beef
> >> first, as he was a lazy sort (but a nice guy). If you make this,
do let
> >> us know how it turns out, I'd really like to know...
> >
> > I finally got around to making this last night (I try to plan meals

> > and shopping for two week periods, so sometimes it takes a while
before
> > I can try something). I put 2# raw ground chuck in the bottom of a
9x13
> > inch baking dish, then layered with 15 oz. green beans, 16 oz.
tater
> > tots, two cans cream of mushroom soup, S&P and some Worchestershire
> > sauce, then 8 oz. sharp cheddar, grated. It was very good, but I'm
> > going to tweak it next time -- I definitely want to brown the meat
> > first (putting it in raw left way too much fat in the dish, had to
> > drain several times), and I want to mix the soup and cheddar so the
> > cheese doesn't turn into a crust. Also, DH wants more tater tots,
but
> > I'm not so sure about that one...
> >
>
> Do the tater tots lose their crispy crust in this dish? I don't
think I'd
> like it if they did

Good point.

....the same as I don't like gravy on French fries.
>
> Thanks,
> Wayne

"Gal Called J.J." > wrote in message
...

> cheese doesn't turn into a crust. Also, DH wants more tater tots, but
> I'm not so sure about that one...

(laugh) This thread made me buy tater tots just to try them once more.
I'd only had them once before or so ... they are like little hash brown
things. Personally, I would prefer to grate up some potato and the
onion and fry them up like latkes. But they weren't bad.

nancy

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> Go ahead -- get your smarmy remarks all fired up. You
> can't hurt me.

<eg>

>
> I have a vague memory of making this culinary delight by
> patting out a pound of raw ground beef into a pan (9x9
> square maybe?) and laying some frozen Tater Tots on top
> and pouring a can of cream of mushroom soup over all of
> it before baking for half and hour or something. Does
> that sound familiar to anybody?

Not that one, but it was always cream of (anything but mushroom) soup,
with or without the ground beef. That's all I remember. I had one sister
who wouldn't eat mushrooms, so I think my Mom just changed the soup for
her...
>
> I haven't done an extensive search for this -- the Tater
> Tot and burger hotdish recipes I'm finding seem to
> involve cooking the meat first and I'm pretty sure that
> what I did used raw meat.

I never cooked it myself, but I think you'd be OK if you used lean ground
beef, otherwise it would probably swim in grease.
>
> Bring it.

Tater Tots rule! I even use them for quick hash browns. Much better,
IMO, than the frozen hash browns.

BOB
> --
> -Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> Winter Carnival ice
> sculpture pics added 1-30-05.
> "I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to
> the end and say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" -
> Comedian Rita Rudner, performance at New York, New York,
> January 10, 2005.

In article >, " BOB" >
wrote:
(snip)
> Tater Tots rule! I even use them for quick hash browns. Much better,
> IMO, than the frozen hash browns.
>
> BOB

Im inclined to agree -- I used some for supper last night. The little
guys browned up nicely and we crispy on the outside and hot and tender
within. No ketchup with them, thank you.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> Sam pics added 2-7-05.
"I read recipes the way I read science fiction: I get to the end and
say,'Well, that's not going to happen.'" - Comedian Rita Rudner,
performance at New York, New York, January 10, 2005.

Melba's Jammin' > wrote in message
...
> Go ahead -- get your smarmy remarks all fired up. You can't
> hurt me.
[snip vague memories of a '70s hamburger extender casserole]

Are you trying to channel Jimmy?

I remember my Sainted Mother(tm) making something very similar also. It
was a traumatic enough experience that I can tell you where I was when
she made this dish...

I'll check some of the Sunset and BH&G books floating about my library.
I'm _sure_ it's there...

The Ranger