Molly offers her own interpretation of the midwestern tot hotdish — the layered bake that traditionally brings together a protein, a vegetable, a starch and something to hold it all together. In her rendering, ground beef and green beans go underneath a from-scratch cream soup base, and the whole thing gets a tater tot lid. She describes the result as hearty and comforting, the sort of meal a cold day calls for.
Info
- Cook time: 45 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (13 grams) neutral oil
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- 2 pounds (908 grams) ground beef, 93% lean
- 12 ounces (340 grams) frozen chopped green beans
- 1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) pale ale (or 1/4 cup/60 grams low-sodium chicken stock as a substitute)
- 2 1/4 cups (540 grams) low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) heavy cream
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 pounds (908 grams) frozen Tater Tots
Accessories
- Feeling adventurous? Scatter on a few generous handfuls of shredded cheddar as a topping.
- Feeling elegant? Finish with chopped flat-leaf parsley.
- Feeling like we ought to be best friends? Serve ketchup alongside.
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
- Warm the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Stir in the shallots with a pinch of salt and cook until they soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the ground beef, season with 1 teaspoon of salt, and brown it, breaking up the meat with a spoon or spatula as it cooks. Stir in the green beans and cook a few minutes more, just until thawed. Lift the mixture out with a slotted spoon into a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish, spread it in an even layer, and set it aside while you prepare the creamed soup.
- Pour off the juices left in the skillet, wipe the pan clean, and set it back over medium heat. Melt the butter, whisk in the flour to form a paste, and cook for 2 minutes, whisking. Whisk in the pale ale, then pour in the chicken stock very gradually in 3 or 4 additions, whisking constantly and letting the mixture thicken between additions. Whisk in the heavy cream, several turns of black pepper, the thyme and the nutmeg. Raise the heat and keep whisking often until the mixture is just about to simmer, then lower the heat to low and let it simmer gently for 5 minutes, whisking now and then. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Pour or ladle this sauce over the beef mixture and fold everything together. Arrange the Tater Tots in neat rows and columns on top (add a layer of cheese beneath or over the tots if you like), then season with salt and pepper.
- Bake until the tots are crisp and golden on top, checking for doneness starting at 35 minutes (a few minutes sooner if you added cheese). For extra-crisp tots, run the dish under the broiler for a few minutes at the end. Let it cool briefly, scatter with parsley, and/or offer ketchup if desired.
- TO MAKE AHEAD: Work through the step of topping with tots (and cheese, if using), assembling the dish in a 9 x 13-inch metal casserole. Cool it, wrap in plastic or foil, and refrigerate or freeze until you're ready to cook. It keeps 2 days in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer. Reheating from the fridge: follow the directions above, adding a few extra minutes in the oven so it heats through. Reheating from frozen: cover loosely with foil (tent it if cheese is on top) and bake at 350 degrees F for an hour, then uncover, raise the heat to 450 degrees F, and bake until the topping is golden brown and the interior is hot, checking for doneness starting at 20 minutes.
