The Betty Crocker Project : Texas Tater Tot Casserole

Little-known fact about me: I didn't know until 9th grade that you could buy tater tots at the grocery store.

I mean, I had eaten them before. I'm not a Martian. But whenever I had seen these modern-day potato wonders, it was always next to corn dogs on a school lunch tray. I assumed they were like those little chocolate milk cartons and tiny ketchup packets. When you're a little eater, you don't always know what's going on. I had no idea what a huge weirdo I apparently was until I was sleeping over at a friend's house and saw their mom pull a bag of these little buddies out of the freezer. For many of us, going vegan meant caring what went into your body, caring about what our food did for the environment, and cutting back on cute vegetable-based foods with sweet little names like 'tater tots'. That's why the second I saw this recipe, I knew that folks were going to love it. It'll give you a chance to make something so incredibly American and campy-fun-awesome-sauce, without being completely and ridiculously bad for you, because we took out the cheese sauce and ground beef.

This recipe is basically a Shepherd's Pie, with a light Tex-Mex Chili and a Tater-Tot top... oh, and there's a layer of Daiya Pepperjack Cheese in there too. When it gets served up, you get a whole bunch of spicy beans and vegetables with a few cheesy crispy tots. So you can enjoy your tater tots again, but in moderation. So ya know, no guilt... especially if you use these organic tots.

Let's get tatered!

 

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) 
• 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.