Cheesy Meatball Tater-Tot Casserole

I was cleaning out my freezer the other day and found a bag of Tater-Tots. I love a good Tater-Tot! I decided to whip up a classic Tater-Tot casserole, but then I thought why not give it a twist. Meatballs instead of ground beef and a creamy dreamy cheese sauce instead of gravy.

It turned out amazing! The crispy tots, with the creamy cheese sauce and the flavorful meatballs was perfection. Just look at all that cheesy drippy awesomeness!

What you need,

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25-30 small cooked meatballs (about 1 inch in diameter) I used this recipe, but you can use whatever recipe you like.

2 tbsp. butter

½ white onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. dry mustard

Salt & Pepper to taste

2 cups milk (I used 2%)

1½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

½ bag of frozen Tater-Tots

Spray a 8x8 baking dish lightly with non-stick spray. Lay the cooked meatballs in the bottom of the baking dish in a single layer.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium pot over medium heat melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until they start to soften and turn translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute more. 

Add the flour and cook it, stirring the whole time for about 2 minutes. The flour will start to turn a light golden brown.  Add the Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, salt and pepper.

Whisk in the milk and cook, stirring often until the mixture thickens.  It should coat the back of a spoon when it is done.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese until it is smooth and melty. Give it a taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.

Pour the cheese sauce all over the meatballs.

Layer the Tater-Tots in a single layer on the top. Sprinkle the remaining half cup of cheddar cheese over the top.

Bake the casserole for 25 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly and the Tots are crisp on the top.

I served my casserole with a salad but my in house taste tester suggested that next time we have steamed broccoli and cauliflower instead, that way he could dip them into the extra creamy delicious cheese sauce!

He is so smart. I wish I would have thought of that. Oh well next time!

We both really loved this dish. It was great left over too.

Enjoy!

Jen

Recipe adapted from Roti & Rice