It isn’t too hard to come up with ways to enjoy this meatball and tater tot casserole. Post-practice dinner? Cold weather comfort? Sunday brunch? The options are endless, especially for time-strapped cooks who need flavor fast.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound ½ oz Armanino Gourmet Beef Meatballs
1 pound button mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons Armanino Creamy Garlic Sauce
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 ½ cups beef broth, low sodium
½ cup grated parmesan cheese (about 2 ¼ oz)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
one 32oz bag frozen tater tots
Directions
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450°F.
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat.
Add the onions, mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat until the onions and mushrooms are soft and nearly all liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the meatballs and sauté to defrost and get a little color, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Stir in flour until fully incorporated and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in milk and broth and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits.
Cook until mixture is slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
Off heat, stir in the creamy garlic sauce, parmesan, peas and corn.
Transfer mixture to 9”x13” baking or casserole dish, discarding thyme sprigs if desired.
Lightly arrange tater tots in even rows over top. Do not press into the filling.
Bake until tater tots are crispy, a deep golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 40-45 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking.
Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Chef’s Tips
To do ahead: make the filling, transfer to the baking dish and let cool completely. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate up to 24 hours. To finish, bake the meatball mixture, covered, 15-20 minutes. Remove foil, stir then arrange the tater tots on top, and bake 35 minutes until crispy and golden brown.
Mix up the vegetables as you like – add green beans or any frozen vegetable medley.
