Recipe Time: Mini Tot Casserole!

Trying to keep this recipe short - because it's really one of the easiest, fastest meals I've prepared for my family in quite some time. Also because Mr. Nearly Four has stopped napping and "quiet time" only lasts so long.
I am a casserole-craving fanatic, and my husband has a thing about "mixing textures" - that is to say, he generally doesn't enjoy casseroles. My attempt at Tex-Mex Chicken Casserole? I loved, his plate was untouched. I have been on a journey to find a casserole that is the perfect marriage of our food tastes and so far, this one takes the cake  casserole.

When I saw these cute mini tater tots in the frozen food aisle (and they were on sale) my memory brought me back to a simpler time of binge watching TLC on a Sunday afternoon, with wide eyes as wholesome Duggar gals wearing smocked floral dressed shared their favorite meal to serve sixteen at the time - the famous Tater Tot Casserole. It looked so good on TV, but alas, in all my casserole indulging, I had yet to try it myself.
On a night when I had a pound of thawed grass-fed beef in the fridge and that glorious bag of mini tots in the freezer, it happened - the mini tot casserole was born. Cue the choirs singing heavenly! A little dramatic, but here it is: a 13x9 pan of deliciousness that your picky husband *might* possibly (no promises) like. Try it. Tell me how it goes! ;)

You'll need:
-1 pound of ground beef (I used a package of grass-fed, 85% lean)
-1 package of condensed cream of chicken soup (I used Pacific brand)
-5 oz sour cream
-a heaping handful of fried onions - so naughty, I know. Don't fret, you could just use a finely chopped onion in place of these, but I had exactly this much left over from Christmas dinner's green bean casserole and couldn't resist the salty goodness
-1 tsp paprika
-1/2 tsp freshly ground parsley
-1 tsp black pepper
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 cup sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
-1 cup sharpe white cheddar cheese, shredded
-1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
-1 bag of frozen mini tater tots (I used Ore-Ida, I'm not sure if other brands make the minis!)
-sour cream, fresh tomatoes, salsa, shredded lettuce, avocado as toppings (your choice/preference)

Step one: cook the ground beef until no longer pink, you'll want it broken into small bits as shown, sorry I don't have a picture of the beef by itself, I only realized it would make a good blog post at this point with everything in the pot already, lol!

Step two: add the other ingredients, but reserve the tots and 2 cups of shredded sharp white and cheddar cheese. Stir until everything is mixed together. 

It will look like this, and you will be tempted to sample it straight from the pot! ;)

Step three: pour the tots into your 9x13 (13x9??) pan, mine was glass. I didn't need to coat it first, because greasy foods lol, but you may want to give it a quick spray of avocado oil if you don't enjoy living as dangerously as yours truly. 

Step four: pour the mixture on top of the tots and spread evenly, covering each of those yummy tots!

Step five: sprinkle the reserved shredded cheeses on top!

Final step: bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the tots on the bottom are golden and your cheese is gooey and melted (as shown)

And then of course: serve!! I couldn't help but portion some to try before I even took a picture.

I plated my husbands plain, with some steamed baby carrots in a light butter glaze.

He TOLERATED it! And gave me the go-ahead to make it AGAIN. Casserole winning in his book.

For the boys I plated it with the carrots, strawberries, a dollup(?) of sour cream, shredded lettuce and extra shredded cheddar on the side. They loved everything! I find that plating things in the separated re-play plates does help them to try new foods. I always keep their trusted faves separate and untainted, and the more adventurous foods are like a trail leading to the new menu item. 

For myself, I topped the casserole with some shredded lettuce and sour cream.

And yes, it was tater-tot-tastic.