Shepherd's Pie with a Totty Top

Tots! p. 117

1 teaspoon vegetable or peanut oil

1 pound ground beef (or lamb)

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes with their juices

1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

About 1 pound frozen tots (depending on the size of your baking dishes)

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally to break up the meat, until it is browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.

Add the onion and carrots to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, corn, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and thyme and stir to combine. Return the beef to the pan, bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook until the flavors have melded and the mixture thickens slightly, about 15 minutes.

It's a damn attractive dish all around.

Pour the beef mixture into an 11 x 7-inch casserole dish or divide it among 5 or 6 individual baking dishes. Top the beef mixture with the tots, covering it evenly and making sure the tots don’t sink too far into the dish.

Bake until the tots are golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.

Remove the shepherd’s pie(s) from the oven, top with the cheese, and bake until the cheese has melted and the filling is bubbling at the edges, about 10 minutes.

And it's even prettier with baking!

Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve.

It's like Minnesota tater tot hot dish, but with culture! ;)

My Rating: 5/5 "This stuff is amazing. I don't like potatoes, but I do find them delicious when they're presented in tater tot form. They make a nice salty counterpoint to the flavors in the meaty mixture underneath them. All that plus cheese? Come on!"