Tater Tot One Pan Casserole

Who can say no to 'fresh veggies' and 'one pan clean up'? We have been trying more and more to eat fresh and not so many boxed items. I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's site and made a few changes to suit our family (our family does not do 'hot'...I know, I know, but having an 8 year old and a 2 year old, it is hard to force spicy on them without tears in their little eyes). 

**HELPFUL HINT: It was very helpful to cut up all the veggies first. This saved me not only a ton of tears, but my food did not burn when I was trying to hurry and cut up the rest of the veggies. 

***HELPFUL HINT: A Cast Iron Pan is the best pan for this. They were made for heat!

Items you will need:

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds Beef Sirloin

dash of salt

dash of pepper

6 Tablespoons butter (I used unsalted)

1 cup diced onion (I used a sweet onion)

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup diced green pepper

(2 Tablespoons of Jalapeno peppers if desired)

 1 packaged whole mushroom chopped into small pieces

4 cloves of garlic, minced (I used a garlic press to make it easier)

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons Soy Sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce (I upped this from the org. recipe)

2 cups milk

1/4 cup sour cream

2 cups corn

8 oz. Sharp cheddar cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes

4 oz. pepper jack cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 pounds tater tots

Now to begin preparing so you can just throw it in the pan:

1 cup diced onion (I used a sweet onion)

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup diced green pepper

 1 packaged whole mushroom chopped into small pieces

4 cloves of garlic, minced (I used a garlic press to make it easier)

8 oz. Sharp cheddar cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes

4 oz. pepper jack cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Ok, now that is all done, cut up around 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds of Beef Sirloin in thin strips. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and brown in pan. Remove to a bowl or plate. Drain all but a couple tablespoons of the fat. Add in 2 Tablespoons of butter and melt. Once butter is melted, throw in your veggies - onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic. cook for about 10 minutes

Now comes a bit of a tricky portion: tilt the skillet to side and move all the veggies to one side. Let the juices slide to the open side and add the remaining butter (4 Tablespoons). Once the butter is melted add in the flour and whisk together with the butter mixture. This will form a paste. Add in the Soy Sauce (2 Tablespoons) and Worcestershire Sauce (2 Tablespoons) and then slowly add in the milk (2 cups).

Once milk is added in, stir the vegetables into the mixture and cook for another 10 minutes. Add in the sour cream (1/4 cup) and stir well. Add the corn (2 cups) and half of each of the cheese (use your best eyeball guess here...). 

Once the cheese is melted and everything is stirred together, add your tater tots on top and arrange into a single layer as best as possible. 

Place pan and all into the oven for about 20 minutes. It should be all bubbly and yummy looking! Put the rest of the cheese on the top and let it melt (I did add a little bit of shredded cheese too). Place back into the over for another 10-15 minutes depending on how crispy you want your tater tots. Once done, let it rest on the stove for about 5 minutes before serving (it is REALLY hot). Enjoy!!