Sometimes you love two separate meals so much you find a way to combine them.
Comforting sloppy joe meat on the bottom, tator tots on top!
Happy Monday friends!
We spent the weekend in Minnesota for my nieces high school graduation and I'm whipped {check out what my mom made for her here on my Instagram page}. Spending 5+ hours in a van with the husband and three kids wore me out. Going up there they did relatively well. Coming back the naps were not happening, yet everyone was tired and cranky.
And well, because of that this Mama came home tired and cranky.
Here's to hoping today isn't a dreadful recovery day. Our week ahead is fairly low key. I planned a play date at a farm {baby calves!} and I do NEED to get my strawberries here so I can get moving on my year supply of strawberry freezer jam.
And Friday night is Girl's Night. Thank god. We are doing one of those painting and drinking wine parties. Ha. I've never combined the two. If you're lucky I'll show you the final product.
Now enough of van rides and screaming kids and my to-do list this week. How about a comforting, easy, weeknight dinner?
You guys are ALWAYS asking for easy, throw together meals that require little fuss. This one is it! A few weeks back I had everything set out for a traditional Tator Tot Casserole. The one with the ground beef mixed with cream of mushroom soup, some peas, some seasonings and then topped with tator tots.
Then my mind got wandering and suddenly sloppy joes were on my mind. And I thought, "what if I did a sloppy joe bottom and topped that with tator tots?"
I took the plunge and just did it, fully warning the family as we sat down to eat that this wasn't the traditional casserole they were used too.
I did not want them to bite into it only to have them turn on me and be disappointed. Not that they wouldn't like the taste but just because it wasn't what they were expecting.
It went over well! We let our ground beef simmer away in a bit of ketchup, barbecue sauce, tomato sauce, mustard, onion, a bit of vinegar for tang and some other spices. I've found this combo to give just enough sweet without being too sweet.
Do you see the juicy deliciousness?
It's like heaven in a skillet.
Oh, and let those tator tots get super crunchy. Turn up that heat. There is nothing worse than a soft, soggy tator tot. Well, maybe a soft, soggy slice of bread. That is worse. Much worse. Just let them get crunchy people!
Sloppy Joe Tator Tot Casserole
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. ketchup
2 T. yellow mustard
1/2 c. barbecue sauce
1 c. tomato sauce
2 T. white vinegar
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
bag of frozen tator tots
1. In an oven proof skillet {if wanting to use the same pan to cook it in and bake in the oven} cook the ground beef until juices run clear and no longer pink. Drain off the excess grease.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
3. Once the meat is done add in the ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar, onion and spices. Let this simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4. After simmering, layer tator tots on top of the meat. Place skillet in the oven and bake until the tator tops are crunchy, about 20 minutes.
5. Serve warm.
