Tator Tot Casserole, freezable?

[dragnlaw]

If I put together a Tator Tot Casserole - with the beef and onions cooked, frozen vegies on top, covered in cream soup/sauce and covered with the frozen Tator Tots....

can I pop it back in the freezer to cook and serve later?

 

[Andy M.]

Freezing shouldn't effect the texture of the Tots. The sauce may separate but the taste won't suffer.

 

[dragnlaw]

Thanks Andy. Sort'a thought so but just wanted to hear other opinions.

Most recipes make a 9 x 13 but I want to divide it up into several servings, freeze them for later meals. But didn't think it would be great refreezing beans, corn and the tators.

I was even thinking of using canned mushroom soup so as to help prevent that separation. If I'm going to go short and dirty, why not? LOL

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

@dragnlaw could you post an update once you bake off one of your mini caseroles?
I was thinking of doing the same.

 

[dragnlaw]

Absolutely, for sure, but don't hold your breath! Have not even bought any Tator Tots yet. Can't remember the last time, if ever! that I've bought them, do have onion (I think) and know I still have a big lump of ground beef in the freezer.

Kids and offspring are off to the cottage this weekend. I should take this opportunity to use the oven upstairs.

OK, dragn... get your game on!
hmmm, and look for soup....

 

[dragnlaw]

NOTE:- Question at the end!

So I made the recipe and froze four individual dishes. A bit stuffed, I could have easily done 5 or even 6 small ones.

There is ground beef (and onion) on the bottom. Then some frozen green beans and corn (was supposed to be frozen but I used canned corn).
then a Mushroom soup and a Celery soup on top.

the soups were very thick but I left them that way (piled in the centre) thinking they would spread out and dilute with the frozen vegies underneath. I had made this dish twice previously in a 9x13 dish and both times the soup 'melted' into the vegies and meat. The only difference was the vegies, before I used frozen peas and corn (diced) and this time, as said above.

Then the Tator Tots are piled on top. I ate that last one in the middle, raw.
(Hey! Com'on! what was I supposed to do? Put one lonely tator back in the freezer? all by itself? would get so lonely!)

Then I wrapped in foil and also plastic wrap and then ziplock and froze.

I defrosted and baked in oven (with foil for 3/4 of the time) til it measured about 175 in the middle and seemed to be bubbling around the edges.

Was certainly hot enough but the soup did not become gravy and soak into the rest of the "casserole".

How do I save the next ones?
After defrosting,
do I deconstruct?
remove tator tots?
Mix a bit of milk thru the balance? or maybe water?

All suggestions welcome!

 

[medtran49]

The recipe I use, which is from either ATK or CC, mixes the gravy/soup mixture in with the ground beef and onions, plus fresh mushrooms, then the veges, then the tots. It uses frozen corn and green beans, and states not to let them or tots defrost before baking. It also doesn't use canned soups, but makes a roux with ground beef fat, then adds broth and a few flavorings. The roux mixture would almost certainly separate in your use so I would go ahead and used canned soup, but I think I would thin it down some, maybe a bit of worchestershire and some beef broth.

Did you put the soup on top previously? That seems counterintuitive because the liquid from the meat mixture and the frozen vegetables isn't going to move up.

 

[dragnlaw]

The 2 times I made it previously - methods were slightly different.

1st time, I cooked the meat, spread it in the 9x13 and froze it. Then, come time to cook, I defrosted the meat, added the frozen vegies, the soup then tots. Baked.
Was great.

2nd time, I cooked the meat, transported all separately to my brother's. Then assembled as above and baked. Was great.

Constructing and freezing all ahead was obviously not a good idea. It's just that usually come supper time I too pooped to 'construct' so was trying to put as much as possible together ahead of time - in other words - heat oven, bake, eat.

OK, back to the drawing board. Have 3 more in the freezer, not sure I will be able to lift off the tator's from the frozen soup. Should be able to separate the vegies (and soup) from the meat,

 

[taxlady]

If I was trying to make my own heat and serve freezer meals, this is what I would change for another time - just put the soup on top of the meat and vegis. Stir it in if that seems like it would help. Put the tots on top where they can get a bit crisp.

As to rescuing the other already assembled ones, you may need to play around with them and then cook them to be on the safe side. Maybe only do one for a test? Can you lift the whole soup-tater tot portion off the rest? If so, I think I would turn that frozen blob tater tot side up and try to gently melt the soup. That could be on a skillet on low or in the microwave in short bursts. Then, once loose enough, I would pick off the tots. Then it could be reassembled with the tots on top. I'm just pulling ideas out of thin air. I have no idea if any of that would work.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I would try thawing them overnight in the refrigerator and mixing a small amount of milk or a few dots of butter into the soup before baking them.

In the future it might be best to freeze small containers of soup separately and dilute them before adding them to the casserole.

 

[dragnlaw]

Yep, in future, I will just cook the meat as I had done before and freeze in portions. Plus the soup (thanks Aunt Bea). The frozen vegies can either be pkged up in portions or just left in the bag. Think I'd prefer to pkg up portions to be sure I had some on hand. Same with the Tots.

Yeah, taxy, have no idea how I'll go about it. But deconstructing frozen and seeing what I have. Then going on to defrosting to see what I can do.

- so much for a quick and dirty din-dins!

 

[taxlady]

Dragn', it's a learning curve. Do it a few more times and you will break even on the time.

 

[dragnlaw]

LOL, my problem is my short term memory. By the time I do it again, I've forgotten the last curve. Aside from size, an elephant I'm not.

 

[taxlady]

LOL, my problem is my short term memory. By the time I do it again, I've forgotten the last curve. Aside from size, an elephant I'm not.

That is why I write notes with the recipe in CMT. Then, when I go look at the recipe, the notes are right there. I don't have to find them somewhere. I don't even need to remember whether or not I took notes.

If you don't want to write the notes again, you could put a link to this thread in the notes section with a comment telling you that there are a lot of suggestions here.

 

[dragnlaw]

1. remember to take notes
2. remember write notes
3. remember if it should be done before or after eating.
4. remember to put a link
5. remember the link is in notes
6. remember to put a comment
7. remember the .... what???

 

[dragnlaw]

Believe it or not, for my coffee I do only 4 scoops.

and I have lost count... more than once.

 

[taxlady]

@dragnlaw All you have to do is look at the recipe and the notes there. Quit trying to do the recipe from (your faulty) memory.

 

[dragnlaw]

@dragnlaw All you have to do is look at the recipe and the notes there. Quit trying to do the recipe from (your faulty) memory.

Looking at the recipe would be doing the exact same thing over again..... and the notes? What notes? did someone forget to put them in?

Going to defrost one over night - see what I get tomorrow

 

[taxlady]

Looking at the recipe would be doing the exact same thing over again..... and the notes? What notes? did someone forget to put them in?

Going to defrost one over night - see what I get tomorrow

It doesn't have to be the same thing over and over again. You can include suggestions - the ideas you got while cooking or eating the food you made. Go put the link to these notes with the recipe now.

 

[dragnlaw]

yes mummy