As I sit here writing this post, I have dinner for my husband and I cooking. I ended up getting home later today than usual because we had a crop of chickens go out, so my dad, uncle and I were at the barn, cleaning out all the manure.
My dad and uncle typically run the equipment to push all of the shit out of the barn, whereas I end up scraping down the far edge of the floor around the parameter of the barn because chicken shit, when combined with shavings, can become a wee bit sticky and therefore difficult to remove. After doing this scraping for a few hours, it takes a toll on the body, and I am not only knackered, but extremely hungry.
I couldn’t help but think about what sort of hearty, warm meal would truly hit the spot after some hard work, and when I spotted a recipe from thepioneerwoman.com for a Cowboy Casserole, I knew I had to share. Check it out.
“Ingredients
- 1 (32-oz.) bag of tater tots
- 4 strips of bacon (about 3 oz.)
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 lb. ground sirloin
- 1 (10.75-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 tsp. ground black pepper, divided
- 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 8 oz. shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Chopped chives or scallions, for topping
“Directions
-
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Remove the tater tots from the freezer to let them thaw slightly while you prepare the filling.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown and extra crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the grease in the skillet.
- Add the onion to the skillet with the grease and cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until no pink pieces remain, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off the excess fat, if you like. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the soup, milk, salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper; mix until smooth. Fold in the spinach to wilt slightly. Stir in the corn.
- Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. Place the tater tots on top in a single layer, arranging them in concentric circles (or just toss them on and push them very close together). Sprinkle the top with the parmesan cheese and the additional 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
- Bake until he tater tots are golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and crumble the cooked bacon over top. Let rest 5 minutes. Top with chopped chives or scallions and serve,” the recipe states.
I don’t know about you, but I think this would seriously hit the spot.
Photo by Taylor Brandon on Unsplash
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