WIS, WWA | inaugural tater tot experience
What I Spent
First, I want to tell you that when I was staying with Katy, I had tater tots for what I think is the first time in my life.
I needed you to know.
I feel like it is a bit surprising my life has been so tater-tot-less, given that my extended family is so solidly Midwestern. You'd think I would have had a tater tot casserole at some point. Ha.
My verdict is that these were really good, but I am unsure if I would enjoy them as a casserole (I looked at pictures online!)
I spent:
- $94 at Aldi
And actually, only $44 of that was out of pocket, because I remembered to bring a $50 prepaid card I had.
I hit the Split Payment button at self-checkout, used the $50, and then paid the rest with my Citi card (which gives me 5% back on groceries.)
Look at me actually using my cards up!
What We Ate
Saturday
I flew back from Portland on Saturday, and by the time I got home, it was about 9 pm EST, and I'd had no dinner. Or lunch, for that matter.
I did not feel like going to the grocery store, so I fried some eggs and ate those with an avocado (topped with salt and lime juice).
Which was not too dissimilar to the breakfast Katy fed me before my flight:
Sunday
Of note: my Sunday breakfast was very similar to my previous two meals. Ha. I'm like 68% eggs right now.
Sunday night, I put together the Panera order to use up my gift card, so $0 out of pocket for meee!
Monday
I seasoned some chicken thighs, cut them in chunks, sauteed them, and added a jar of Aldi's tikka masala sauce. We ate that on naan with cilantro. Easy peasy.
I also sauteed some broccoli, which was left in my fridge from before my trip. I was surprised it was still ok after all that time!
Tuesday
I made a pot of chicken broth to use up my last two frozen rotisserie chicken carcasses, and I made some chicken noodle soup with the broth.
More sauteed broccoli on the side, and that finished off my broccoli bag.
I also made some biscuits but my baking powder was out of date. Ahahahaha.
They should not be so....flat.
Zoe and I did still eat them with our soup, but I asked her to pick up some fresh baking powder the next day.
You can tell I do not bake at the same rate as I once did, because expired baking powder was never a problem for me until now.
Wednesday
We had leftovers for dinner.
But also, since I have work shifts the next three days, I made a pot of Zuppa Toscana to serve as work lunches.
I guess I'm in a soup-y mood right now, which is good considering that I have chicken broth to use up!
Thursday
I got home from work, wasn't very hungry, discovered Zoe had already eaten and so....I just ate a bowl of yogurt with fruit and some chia seeds.
And then I went straight to bed.
Friday
I'm planning to make some quesadillas after work, because I need something fast. There is so little time between coming home and needing to go to bed; usually an hour if I am lucky.
I have one more work shift on Saturday, then a day off.
So I will spend time on Sunday making a fresh batch of food for the other three shifts.
I only like them in place of chips in Nacho’s or in Tater Tot Casserole.
Good morning! That chicken noodle soup looks delicious. I've been craving soup, but haven't made any yet.
Meals this week:
Saturday: Planned a late lunch at my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant. Don't go often so that was a treat. Had tickets to see the Downtown Abbey movie on Saturday night, and knew I'd be dining on popcorn (I know, not healthy, but also a treat), for my dinner. Wanted a more substantial and healthier lunch to compensate.
Sunday: Chicken wings, assorted raw vegetables with ranch dressing.
Monday: It was a feed yourself, leftovers kind of night, including pretzel roll sticks I baked using a King Arthur Flour recipe.
Tuesday: Pork carnitas with corn tortillas, pineapple, guacamole crema, rice & beans, corn on the cob.
Wednesday: BLT sandwich to dine on glorious summer tomatoes.
Thursday: Repeat of Wednesday's meal.
Friday: Tonight we are having venison loin with juniper berry sauce, gnocchi, Brussels sprouts salad with pecans & goat cheese.
Have a wonderful Friday, everyone!
@Molly F.C.,
Tonight’s dinner plan could be a feature at a high end restaurant!
Twice this week, I've had baked potato w butter and cottage cheese sprinkled w everything bagel. One afternoon, i hobbled into a new Ramen restaurant in my neighborhood (near Jimmy John's). I got sukiyaki beef w rice and steamed veggies, and a spring roll. It totaled $15 but served me twice and was delicous. I can't wait to try more. It's been open a while and in such an unassuming place, that i'm afraid it hasn't got much traffic and because of staffing, closes at 8p. We do have a university, an osteopathic school, and dental school, but otherwise this is a pizza/fast-food town. Even Hardee's doesn't get as much business as Taco Bell and Micky D's and DQ and they are all together. I digress. Speaking of pizza, i did get a free med pizza at Domino's and lava cakes ( i ration them out) but was aggravated because they have $15 delivery. So I bought a two liter of sprite for $3.49 which killed me because lemon lime soda at Aldi is $.89 and just as good or better. Because they took an hour to deliver, i got another free pizza deal. I have eaten the pizza for two meals. And that's all I remember.
Happy Friday, everyone! We spent $34 at Trader Joe's.
- Leftover Indian-themed vegetable/rice concoction. I had this for eleventy billion meals. Good thing it's delicious.
- French toast casserole and blueberries
- Popcorn
- Mac 'n' cheese and peas (kids' meal at IKEA)
- Spanish tortilla with peppers and onions
- Salad
- Jimmy John's veggie sandwiches left over from a free event
We like tater tot casserole, but I can see how the photos of it may not be super tasty-looking, so here's a suggestion. First comes chili, then comes leftover chili, right? — so once you have leftover chili, put some in the bottom of a dish, then put cheddar on it, then a layer of tots, and bake at 425 til the chili and cheese bubble up. You can make even just a 4-cup pyrex of it, honestly, enough for two people. So good.
@Karen., I've not tried this before, but I'm sold on the idea!!
@Karen.,
This sounds scrumptious!
WIS: husband did a couple grocery trips this week and ended up spending around 300 which is not too bad considering I’m putting more expensive items on the list since my surgery.
WWA:
The usual fare: focaccia, salmon, chicken, lots of salads.
@Becca, surgery?! I hope all is - or will be - well. Take care.
@MB in MN,
Thank you! I had a lumpectomy, my left axillary lymph nodes removed, and a lymphovenous bypass last Thursday because in July I discovered I had stage three breast cancer! This was shortly after you emailed to check on me, Kristen. I didn’t know yet at the time, but I was very fatigued from my tumor. The surgery went well-clear margins and no more surgery needed, but I will need to do chemo, radiation and hormone treatments still. Prayers are welcome and I’m grateful for this blog so I can have pleasant distractions while I focus on my health and recovery.
Ohhh I am so sorry to hear this and I hope your treatment is as smooth as possible. Sending you so much love!
@Becca, Sending good vibes. I'm sorry you have to deal with this!
@Sophie in Denmark,
Thanks! It was a real kick in the teeth at first, but I’m trying to reframe it as an opportunity to up my self care game. I plan to think of my chemo days as my “spa days.” I definitely already have so much more energy because the tumor must have really been taxing my immune system. I was falling asleep in the middle of the day!
I’m praying for your healing, Becca! Please keep us posted how you are doing.
@Becca,
So sorry to hear this. Sending prayers for healing, recovery, and strength.
@Becca, I’m so sorry to hear this but glad it was caught at a fixable stage. Sending the best wishes for your recovery.
I do love me some tots. Do they have Sonic in your neck of the woods? Sonic deep fries them and they are BOMB with a hotdog. (: This week:
M - I made a weird mish mash of taco meat and pot stickers, strictly to stress eat after work
T - Tilapia with some curry seasoned rice and honey carrots
W - Chicken breast cubes with Trader Joe's butternut mac and cheese, and the rest of a bag of kale and cabbage. This made enough for two meals so I will have one this weekend.
Th - Taco Salad with some Fritos
F - I'm not sure yet - I want to take myself to a movie that gets out around 6:30 p, so I may just pick something up. I'm kind of burnt out on chicken and taco seasoned items. So maybe I will get enough brisket from Rudy's for a sammie, and one of their small coleslaw cups.
Happy Weekend!
@Gina from The Cannary Family, Sonic is the best! I was so spoiled in that my last place was a block away from one. We moved and now the nearest Sonic is over an hour away! Every time there’s a rumor of a new chain restaurant in town I get my hopes up, but no luck yet!
There is a Sonic here, actually, but I think maybe I have only been there one time. And I definitely didn't get tots bc I would have remembered that.
Tater tots, when done right, are heavenly. I think if I ace this class I will buy a bag of tots to celebrate.
Monday: My turn to cook, so pasta and meatballs and roasted broccoli. The meatballs went over very well with the guys, though they were a last-minute idea when I found 3 pounds of ground beef patties in the freezer. I didn't use eggs or breadcrumbs and they were great. DH did note that he prefers just ground beef on his pasta, so I might split it up next time. I got multiple "thanks for making dinner" notes.
Tuesday: DS#2 made roasted chicken drumsticks, sweet potatoes, and I think he put out grapes.
Wednesday: DH was home and made burgers, fish and baked potatoes.
Thursday: DS#3 made enchilada casserole. So good.
Tonight DS#1 is making beef stew, and DS#4 will make his big pot of mac and cheese. Today I'm baking the flatbreads for the weekend homemade pizzas.
I support some celebratory tots. 😉
Mm, the chicken with naan looks good! I've always found tater tots a bit overhyped. They're good! But they can sometimes be awfully greasy. Never had them in a casserole though.
I have been working a ton and doing hardly any cooking at all.
Sunday: I was working. I think I had a Subway sandwich.
Monday: Family event for my new nephew 🙂 I had party sandwiches and fruit.
Tuesday: Mr. B was working late, the 3 y/o and I had macaroni and cheese, and peas.
Wednesday: The 3 year-old turned 4! But I was working late. So I had instant noodles (I know, I know) and then leftover pizza when I got home.
Thursday: Mr. B made pasta with tomato sauce.
Friday. Mr. B is making us salmon, rice, and vegetables, and picking up a challah.
Phew. It's not really going to slow down until mid-October, at least.
I’ve never had tater tots…
On Monday night I made ham and bean soup. My mom used to make a bean soup that was awesome but we don’t have her recipe. So I tried a recipe that sounded like it may have been similar to the way she made her bean soup. My husband and daughter loved the soup; I wasn’t thrilled with it. We had the soup for dinner Tuesday night and Wednesday night. Last night we had baked chicken, rice and peas. Not sure what tonight’s dinner will be but we’ll have salads over the weekend.
Tater tots are a public school lunch staple. I was honestly surprised (years ago) to discover it was possible to have them at home. We often eat tots with burgers - so good! Never had tater tot casserole, though.
Well, that also would explain this for me since I was homeschooled! 😉
WIS: $72 at Wegmans.
WIA: The best thing I had all week was the panini that Grad School BFF bought me while we were out and about yesterday: pesto chicken with a local tomato. So good!
If you can find them in your area, try the tater tot "rounds" or "crowns" - the ratio of crunchy to potato is much more satisfying if you enjoy crispy.
We toss them in the air fryer for 8-10 minutes and sprinkle with garlic salt. Dip in Sam's Club queso for extra deliciousness. We serve them with tacos/taquitos/quesadillas/pizza this way when craving something salty and satisfying.
@Mallory L., I also prefer the "crispy crowns" sized tator tots (more flat than oblong, like a thicker coin (quarter) size) -- baked in toaster oven they are good side or treat!
@Cheryl, I bought the crispy crowns by accident at Kroger when DH requested tots and turns out he liked those even more. I buy frozen potatoes a few times a year but now Kroger has given me a few bags of frozen store brand potatoes several months in a row, which I've gladly picked up.
I have discovered a vegan breakfast casserole with frozen shredded hash browns, diced onion and bell pepper and I use my vegan cheese sauce that's so easy and isn't nut based (potato and carrot, nutritional yeast, etc) so pretty cheap and light. And extra cheap when the bag of potatoes is free.
@Bonnie, Taco John's potato Ole's used to have a bit of taco meat in the center AND were shaped like tots. Today they are crowns, no meat.
Tater tots are…okay with catsup (but a lot of cilantro is delicious). WWA:
Saturday - DD22 was visiting from out of province and had a special request for bbq ribs, so we had those along with grilled chicken thighs, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, green salad, lemon posset and shortbread cookies
Sunday - fried rice made with the leftover sausage and veggies from Friday
Monday - leftovers from Saturday
Tuesday - the last of my freezer falafel stash in pita pockets, with veggies and tzatziki
Wednesday- homemade hamburger helper
Thursday - air fryer drumsticks, perogies, raw cut up veggies
Friday - planning to have a freezer meal (need to start freeing up some of our containers…)
Wishing everyone a happy week ahead
@kj,
Tater TOTs plus cilantro sound like a faux samosa with no work - I’m trying this!
@kj,
What is lemon posset? I love all things citrus. 🙂
@Liz B., Not kj, but there's a recipe here:
https://cookieandkate.com/lemon-posset-recipe/
I always thought a posset was a hot drink (it was mentioned in the book The Box of Delights) but I think in this context, it's a kind of dessert. Kj can correct me if I'm wrong!
Sunday: We grilled food and watched football with our adult kids. We had a cheeseburger bomb, grilled tri-tip and some sweet chili chicken, linguini salad, corn on the cob, brownies and cookies for dessert.
Monday: leftovers from Sunday
Tuesday: hubby had soup as he wasn't feeling well and a had a tuna salad melt
Wednesday: tacos
Thursday: takeout pizza and wings
Friday: we will have deer steak, roasted potatoes and green beans
Gosh, no tator tots till now? Amazing! I eat tator tots on occasion, but I have never had tator tot casserole, although I've heard of it, and I don't know if it sounds good or not. Kind of... not. I could be wrong.
WIS: I spent a few dollars here and there, no more than $25 I would say. Today I'll shop normally (enough for 2 weeks) since my sister has returned home. I buy more when she is there, of course, and I also tailor it more to things I know she likes, so I usually end up shopping weekly while she's there.
WIA:
Seasoned fish fillets with green beans and a salad.
Pulled chicken, "baked" beans, macaroni and cheese - this was at the dinner for vulnerable youth. I skipped the cookies and cupcakes for dessert. Way too much icing for me, but the kids love it.
Mujadara (lentils and rice) with green beans, asparagus and blueberries in cream for dessert. I had that twice.
Tuna salad made with onion and sweet pickle relish, vegan cole slaw and a grapefruit for dessert.
Cut up goat meat braised with zucchini, onion, mushroom, garlic and whole okra pods (okra from my garden). Honeyed cooked carrots on the side.
I'll probably have that last one again tonight. I plan to cook ahead this weekend for next week, which I don't do much when my sister is here. We spend too much time rocking on the porch for that.
@JD, GOAT MEAT?? Do tell!
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
My female farmer raises goats for goat milk and sometimes they birth males…so…
I enjoy goat meat. It’s similar to beef. I first had it years ago from a goat farm that raised meat goats and sheep.
That is amazing that you've never had tater tots. I usually have some in the freezer in case I need a quick side for something like a sandwich. But I've never made a casserole with them, either. They seem to carb-heavy and they're not the healthiest option
I spent $31 at Kroger.
– Sunday – grilled strip steaks, baked sweet potato (one cut in half for two of us), frozen Brussels sprouts, biscuits.
– Monday – sloppy joe sandwiches, canned baked beans, cucumber kimchee.
– Tuesday – slow cooker sauerkraut and sausage, leftover buttermilk biscuits.
biscuits.
– Wednesday – smothered pork chops with golden mushroom soup sauce, onions, carrots, green pepper, couscous and frozen green peas.
– Thursday – leftovers – sauerkraut, sausage, pork chops with veggies and couscous.
– Friday – probably out to eat at a BBQ place – I'll be out of town all day visiting a friend.
I love tater tots. I consider them bar food, although not the kind of thing I would eat regularly. You've reminded me that we have a large package in our freezer, leftover from when DS18 was home & we hosted lots of impromptu get togethers.
For dinners, we had:
-Dinner out at a friend's house. He made a lot of really fantastic dishes, including couscous, grilled chicken, naan & hummus, roasted carrots, etc.
-I made beef & broccoli over noodles, and we had that 2x.
-I also made chicken & dumplings in the crockpot, which I've made multiple times, but this time had a heck of a time getting the dumplings to properly cook, which was irritating.
-I was in San Diego one night for work, so I went out to dinner with my boss & had a salad with chicken.
-We had delivery Greek food one night. I had it for two dinners, and DH had the rest of the broccoli beef.
As for tonight, we will be eating on a flight, as we head to Boulder to see DS18 for family weekend.
Ha. I just did a "never have I ever" on my blog this week, and you could definitely use your tator tot example for that. I love tator tots, but only when they're really crispy, so not so much as part of a casserole.
Saturday: I spent the morning cooking a big pork shoulder and baked rice pudding before going to a birthday party with my daughter, so when I got home I just made some cornbread, added some cucumber pickles, and that was that.
Sunday: I used the leftover pork to make tacos with homemade corn tortillas, and then I made refried beans with canned black beans and a pear crisp for Sunday dessert.
Monday: I had quite a bit of leftover Italian sausage, but not enough for everyone to eat plain for another meal. So instead I used it to make grilled cheese sandwiches, which also had leftover pizza sauce on them and grated asadero cheese from the freezer. Carrot slaw for a vegetable, and homemade applesauce with cream for dessert.
Tuesday: I thawed ground beef and bacon for hamburgers, and my husband was going to the store this day, so I told him to get the bread and American cheese he likes when he makes hamburgers. And then he made his Daddy burgers, which are thin patties fried in bacon grease with American cheese, and then served on Sara Lee butter bread with bacon and ketchup. He makes these on hunting/camping trips with the kids, and they love them. They are also known as Grease Burgers, because he bastes them as they cook with the bacon grease. 🙂 I made a tomato salad, too.
Wednesday: Pork chops with gravy, mashed potatoes, frozen corn. I felt like this was a meal out of an earlier decade. The 80s, perhaps. I also made pureed potato soup for my daughter, who was sick and had a sore throat.
Thursday: My husband had rescued the thick cap of fat and skin when I made the pork roast earlier and chopped and fried that to make chicharrones. These are used to make burritos. He was going to make the burritos, but then he was working on our bathroom just before dinner, so I made them. I had cooked dried pinto beans in the morning, which I pureed with cheese and spread on toasted flour tortillas and then sprinkled on the freshly-fried chicharrones. The boys all like these, and they sure are a frugal meal. They'd be even more frugal if I made the tortillas myself, but I usually don't make flour tortillas because I dislike rolling them out individually. I also made a green salad with ranch dressing. For the sore throat, I made rice with chicken stock and she ate that with some beans. And she got ice cream after dinner, so of course, everyone else did, too.
Tonight: I started feeling my daughter's cold coming last night, and here it is. Boo. I have lots of beans left, and rice. I think I will just combine the two for dinner tonight, with the addition of diced smoked sausage from the freezer. Tomatoes on the side, maybe.
Yes, these were good because they were crispy on every surface.
As someone from the Midwest, as soon as I looked at your picture of tater tots, my brain immediately went, "Oh, I should make a tater tot casserole soon." Ha!
Saturday: French bread pizza using discounted French bread from Meijer. My kids loved this, so I may do this again when Flashfood has French bread for 50cents on a Friday or Saturday.
Sunday: Pork roast, sweet potatoes, rice, and watermelon
Monday: Brats and hot dogs, potato salad, and watermelon. Mondays are hard (we have one hour between sports practices to get from school to home, eat, change clothes, and get back to school for practice #2) and this one didn't go well. I pretty much just ate potato salad. Maybe as it gets cooler I'll just have a crock pot full of soup ready.
Tuesday: Orzo with sausage and broccoli
Wednesday: Pork chops, corn on the cob, watermelon
Thursday: Subs made on Jimmy John's bread, watermelon, and chips
Friday: Southwest chicken alfredo and fruit
@Ruth T, Tater Tot Casserole is one of those good things in life, right? (: I love it, but I don't have tons of people to feed anymore and it makes a lot.
TATER TOT HOTDISH FOREVER! Everyone I know has their own version of this beloved dish and we all think our mom's is the best. I've been tweaking mine for a few years and I have strong opinions on ingredients, but there is no wrong way to make this mid-west favorite (but I will judge based on what you put in yours, hahaha). Welcome to the tater tot club, it's a delicious place to be! What a treat to try something fun for the first time!
Friday: Super fancy steak dinner at a beautiful winery in Santa Rosa, CA. My husband was invited to a fundraiser for an organization he does pro bono work for and because the event was the day before my birthday he decided we should attend this year. It was one of the most beautiful dinners I have ever attended.
Saturday: Chinese take out for my birthday! Our flight home landed at dinner time so we hit the easy button and had dinner delivered to share with my parents as soon as we arrived at our house. My parents picked up fancy pastry in lieu of a birthday cake, which is perfect for me.
Sunday: Chinese take out leftovers
Monday: Low Country Boil Foil Packets
Tuesday: Turkey Unstuffed Pepper Bowls
Wednesday: Baked cod, pasta with saffron cream sauce, bagged Caesar salad
Thursday: Zuppa Tuscana, Zucchini Bacon Cheddar Scones (both pulled from the freezer) – our power went out right before dinner but thankfully the soup was already on the stove so we didn’t have to try and find out how to cook dinner without power.
CSA veggies used: potatoes, corn, bell peppers, celery, kale, zucchini, banana peppers (pickled for later use), apples
@Geneva, would love to hear your fav tator tot ingredients and/or recipe, if it's not a family secret:)
@Rachel R., Absolutely! This is the one I serve to family:
Ground beef – 1 lb
Onion – diced
Celery – 2 stalks, diced
Garlic – 2 cloves, mined
Bella mushrooms – 8 oz, diced
Ore Ida hash browns – 1 cup, defrosted
Amy’s Mushroom Bisque – 1 can
Garlic salt – 1 tsp.
Onion powder – 1 tsp.
Seasoning salt – 1 tsp.
Black pepper – 1 tsp.
Ore Ida tater tots – 1 bag (as many as you need to fit the baking dish)
Brown ground beef then set aside in a large bowl. Sautee onion, celery, and garlic in fat left in the pan from the ground beef until onions are translucent. Add veggies to bowl. Sautee mushrooms until their liquid is released and cooked off. Add mushrooms to bowl. Add hash browns, bisque, and seasonings to bowl and mix to combine. (if it feels dry, add a little plain Greek yogurt) Pour into baking dish (9x13 means more tater tots!), even out, and top with layer of tater tots. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes or until tops of tater tots are brown and crispy.
Growing up, my mom used Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup, canned mushrooms instead of fresh, and 1 cup tots instead of the hash browns. Hers comes together a little faster and is so yummy!
Odd, I grew up in a very tiny midwestern town on a farm, and really never saw tater tots until I moved to a big city and was told it was classic dish for midwest.
First time I saw the tater tot casserole on a tv show, my only thought was how anyone could eat that and expect to live to a ripe old age.
But, I hate greasy stuff and can't eat potato, so bias is real!
I have never eaten a Tater Tot either! I'm not sure if they're a thing in Europe (or maybe I just haven't seen them).
Saturday: I cannot remember what I ate.
Sunday: Mashed potato with a veggie burger and sauteed vegetables.
Monday: Baked sweet potato with various veggie toppings and cream cheese.
Tuesday: Cream cheese and spinach and mushroom over pasta
Wednesday: Chilli mac and cheese
Thursday: Leftovers with a burrito
Friday: I'm not sure what I'll eat tonight - probably something small, because I had curry at lunchtime, shared some nachos with a friend after work and don't feel very hungry. Perhaps also eggs and avocado!
Tater tots were the only junk food my mom would buy. She still adores her tots air fried. We toured the plant as kids.
WIS: $0
WWA
Sun bbq ribs, beans, green salad w/apples
Mon leftover ribs, coleslaw and fruit salad
Tues. Burgers, veggies and ranch
Wed. Mom begged for pizzas
Thurs. Pizza and green salad
Fri late lunch out, fruit and snacks for dinner
Sat Dinner out of state, actually flying there
I think the key to a good Tator Tot casserole is to have a good gravy like base and make it in a swallow pan with a single layer of tots. It gives the best of both worlds. I have a really good one with gruyere cheese. YUM
@Amy cheapohmom, would you be willing to share your recipe? My version is lack luster.
Totchos! Like nachos, but instead of tortilla chips use tater tots.
The cafeteria in the hospital where I work *sometimes* makes deep fried tater tots in the grill area. Totally unhealthy, but ohhh so good. 🙂
WIS: $50 at Food Lion.
WWA: Leftover roast chicken with veggies on the side. Chili with homemade gluten-free cheddar herb corn muffins. Spicy beans and rice. Pasta with cheese, tuna and peas. Cheddar-tuna soup with white beans. Homegrown tomatoes, sweet peppers and tangerines on the side.
Is that ranch dressing in the cup and was it intended for dipping the tots? I came from generations of Midwest and have never heard of dipping tots. Minnesota hot dish is a nice camouflage name for tater tot casserole lol. I have never consumed tots in a casserole of any name.
I've eaten tater tots for as long as I can remember and I love them! HOWEVER...no tater tot casserole for me, thankyouverymuch! Just give me plain tots and some ketchup and I'm happy! (I'll be 69 in a week, so I've been eating tater tots for a lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-ong time!)
That looks like a McMennamin’s sandwich. We always get tots there as I don’t care for their fries. They have such fun places!
When my grandson was probably a 3rd grader, I took him grocery shopping with me. While in the frozen food aisle, he asked if we could have tater tots for dinner. I told him what the meal plan was and that I didn’t think tots would go well with the menu. In his most grown up voice, he shared with me that he thought tots went well with everything!
*Lost my post half way through the second paragraph; but I did redo it in docs and then copied and pasted.
It was indeed from there!
Wow! First time tots! How have you not had them before? 🙂
I had the most delicious tater tots at a restaurant yesterday. Deep fried and drizzled with garlic butter, and sprinkled with cheese and green onion. There was an option to add wing sauce but I passed on that. Admittedly a terrible choice from a nutrition standpoint but definitely fun and delicious to eat.
Also this week: berry salad with chicken, combo pizza, and some chicken enchilada sort of roll ups smothered with a black bean sauce and topped with Pico. I ate out waaaayyy too much this week. Time to get back on my budget/diet!
Ooh, that does sound good!
Oh, tater tots. I don't even eat them yearly, but somehow I have a lot of thoughts about them. The cheap ones from the 80s/90s gave off a smell while cooking that I can only describe as "nursing home." Maybe the oil was low quality/rancid/problematic. We only ever ate them baked at home. Fried is, well, yummier.
My mom isn't a confident cook. One of our favorite "special" meals she learned from work and for some reason they called them "John Wayne's." It's tater tots, shredded cheese, scrambled eggs poured over top, in that order in a baking dish. Bake probably at 350, probably about an hour. Boom. Breakfast casserole. We asked for this meal on Christmas!
i love tater tots with apple sauce.
love this fun food post (the biscuits would SO happen to me...even if my ingredients are on the up and up ha!). Hope you have a very RELAXING Sunday to catch up and just be.
I am SO GRATEFUL to have a day to get reset!
I just wanted to comment to say how much I enjoy your blog. Before instagram there were tons of great blogs to read, now they are few and far between. Because so few people still blog, I find that am no longer in the habit of checking blogs daily, so when I remember to look at yours there are often 5-6 posts to catch up on and this finding always makes me very happy!
Aww, I am so glad to hear this. Thank you for taking the time to tell me!
You know, "inaugural tater tot experience" would be a pretty great name for a rock band! Hahaha
Nice "Chutzpah" mug! 😉