Let's face it...the economy really stinks!! Every time we go to the grocery store or the gas station we are reminded by it!! $4.27 per gallon of gas and $100.00 for the same cart of groceries that I bought a year ago for $60.00...something has got to give. Somehow we all need to find ways to cut our budgets and adjust to the rising prices of EVERYTHING. Hamburger (yet still expensive) remains the most affordable meat to feed a growing family and yet hamburger can get SOOOO boring. The fact is...that is doesn't have to be. Until the first of the year I will be sharing with you some creative and tasty ways to use hamburger in your kitchen and maybe even save a few bucks.
I remember my mom making Tater Tot Casserole when I was younger and loving it...luckily my children have the same great taste. It is an awesome meal to make ahead of time, to freeze, and still easy enough to throw together after work. What's not to love about that?
To make (my version anyway) it you will need 2 lbs of hamburger, 1 cup of stuffing mix, 1 egg, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. The heavy cream really gives the meatloaf layer such a great texture but milk would work just fine if you don't have any...
Mix the above ingredients in a bowl to combine (don't over do it) and then transfer it to a 9x13 baking dish. Pat the meat mixture out to cover the bottom of the pan and then add a can of cream of mushroom soup to the top of the meat layer...
To that I added a couple of tablespoons of barbecue sauce and 1-1 1/2 cups of grated cheese...
The last step is a single layer of tater tots. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 375° oven for 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cooked through. I also like to turn the broiler on for the last couple of minutes to make sure the tater tots extra crunchy...
Add a side salad or vegetable and dinner is complete.
What a tasty way to use a little burger. Sweet budget-
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