Tater tot baking question

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larry_stewart

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Im making aa casserole type dish that I saw on the internet. There weren't written instructions . Im jus kinda winging it.

The basic casserole ingredients are pre made in a light sauce. To finish it off, a layer of tater tots are placed on top then baked in the oven.

My question is, should I follow the directions on the tater tot package to finish off the tater tots? or should I make any adjustments for the tater tots to cook properly.

Im not worried about the underlying ingredients getting over cooked. My main concern is the tater tots creating a nice upper ' crust'.

***tater tot bag says 450F for 20 - 25 minutes.
 
Yeah, I agree with Andy but the actual instructions on the bag don't sound wrong.
Eespecially if the contents of the casserole are already warm. That should finish heating up the contents and crisping the top at the same time.

Obviously keep an eye on it towards the end watching for content bubbling and topping browning.

Although a 2nd consideration is is a shallow or deep caseroole?
 
I'd be tempted to do the tater tots separately in the oven to about 50%, then toss them on the top of the casserole....
 
I'd be tempted to do the tater tots separately in the oven to about 50%, then toss them on the top of the casserole....
I agree. That's a really hot oven temperature that can cause most or all of the moisture in the casserole to evaporate, leaving the rest dried out or burned.
 
Searched a few reliable site for some guidance, thesis what I found:
Temps ranged anywhere from 375F to 450F
The 375 called for 45 minutes
The 450 was 20 minutes
Those in-between were 25 - 30
So basically, the higher the temp, the less time( obviously).

I went with 425 for 30 minutes ( started checking at 25) and it worked out perfectly.

I did consider precooking them, but when I saw so many recipes with similar recommendations , I decided to just go with it.
 

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That's beautiful Larry. What's under those yummy nuggets?

and that's a gorgeous dish too - looks perfect!

edit,
what size is it?
 
They are about 7 inches by about 5 1/2
Maybe 1 1/2 inches deep.

Vegan take on Chicken Paprikash
Onions, carrots ( The ones I just harvested from the garden a few weeks ago), Chicken substitute, garlic, tomato paste S&P
Paprika, a little flour to thicken, white wine, stock ( fake chicken)
and a cashew cream.
Topped witth tater tots.

My wife loved it
I'd give it a B+

I've seen other recipes where they also put olives in it too. may try that next time.
 
Hmmm... might try that - SIL has to go dairy free so that cashew cream sounds perfect! :yum:

Did that dish serve 2? Looks like too much for one but not quite enough for two! :rolleyes:
 
I was just enough for two ( we had a side of steamed broccoli).
The recipe actually filled up 2 of those dishes ( she is taking the second one for lunch tomorrow).
Disclaimer is, she eats like a bird. I dont know how she gets full on as little as she eats. I eat more tasting while cooking then she does during her meal. So I probably ate 2/3 and she ate 1/3.

Truth is, if I absolutely loved it I could have polished off the whole thing myself.

Cashew Cream( approximate measurements):
1/4 cup raw ( Not roasted) cashews
1/2 cup dairy free milk ( almond, cashew, oat...)
***Make sure unsweetened and unflavored. Made that oversight once. Didnt end well***

- Soak nuts in hot water ( hour or longer)
- Add drained soaked nuts to high speed blender along with milk ( May want to start with a little less milk at first. I always wing it, so not sure exactly how much milk I add to get the consistency I want).
- Blend until creamy smooth.

***Doesn't taste like cream, but definitely adds a creaminess feel***
***Can make more just by doubling, tripling ...***
***Not sure if a regular blender will get it completely smooth. I know my vitamin does***

After reading closely, There actually was a link to the video for the recipe. ( wish I saw this before I made it, although it was easy enough and I had to make changes anyway.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes...6kme7ME5VrL0nAx2fOvgwFD5-52o8RrUjDMtuPjzMKO60
 
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I was just enough for two ( we had a side of steamed broccoli).
The recipe actually filled up 2 of those dishes ( she is taking the second one for lunch tomorrow).
Disclaimer is, she eats like a bird. I dont know how she gets full on as little as she eats. I eat more tasting while cooking then she does during her meal. So I probably ate 2/3 and she ate 1/3.

Truth is, if I absolutely loved it I could have polished off the whole thing myself.

Cashew Cream( approximate measurements):
1/4 cup raw ( Not roasted) cashews
1/2 cup dairy free milk ( almond, cashew, oat...)
***Make sure unsweetened and unflavored. Made that oversight once. Didnt end well***

- Soak nuts in hot water ( hour or longer)
- Add drained soaked nuts to high speed blender along with milk ( May want to start with a little less milk at first. I always wing it, so not sure exactly how much milk I add to get the consistency I want).
- Blend until creamy smooth.

***Doesn't taste like cream, but definitely adds a creaminess feel***
***Can make more just by doubling, tripling ...***
***Not sure if a regular blender will get it completely smooth. I know my vitamin does***

After reading closely, There actually was a link to the video for the recipe. ( wish I saw this before I made it, although it was easy enough and I had to make changes anyway.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes...6kme7ME5VrL0nAx2fOvgwFD5-52o8RrUjDMtuPjzMKO60
The link won’t open/redirect to site. What’s the name of the recipe on food network?
 
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lol, thanks Larry. I'll check out the video first!

and add your cashew cream to the recipe - sounds good!

SIL has several milks in the fridge. (oat, rice, silk(?)etc). One morning, feeding grandson I grabbed closest and poured it on his cereal - it was chocolate flavoured *** (something).

He loved it! and I now make sure to read the labels.

I like to add a bit of cream to my scrambled/shirred/fluffy eggs. Didn't want to go to my fridge for it so just used some oat milk - won't do that again either! :LOL:
 
lol, thanks Larry. I'll check out the video first!

and add your cashew cream to the recipe - sounds good!

SIL has several milks in the fridge. (oat, rice, silk(?)etc). One morning, feeding grandson I grabbed closest and poured it on his cereal - it was chocolate flavoured *** (something).

He loved it! and I now make sure to read the labels.

I like to add a bit of cream to my scrambled/shirred/fluffy eggs. Didn't want to go to my fridge for it so just used some oat milk - won't do that again either! :LOL:

Some of the dairy free milks, although unsweetened , still have a sweetness about them. They each have a subtly different flavor (some better for certain recipes than others), and some creamer than others.
 
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