Tater Tot Casserole

This is a quick, fun recipe that the kids love. Its quick to put together and great with a tossed salad or fresh green peas. I use the Cascadian Farms variety of tater tots because most varieties of tater tots have sugar and other undesirable ingredients in their potato products. The other option would be to make your own, which I have been working on but of course, its not nearly as quick. I will post a recipe for tater tots when I figure it out. You can also use canned refried beans. I like to make refried beans in large batches so I always have some on hand in the freezer.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs lean ground chuck
1/2 onion chopped
1 cup water
1 T chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp sea salt
2 cups refried beans
1 16 oz bag of Cascadian Farm frozen spud buddies(Tater tots)
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

How Tos:
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and onion until no pink remains. Drain off any fat. Add the water and spices and simmer for 10 minutes until most of the liquid is cooked off. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Pour the meat mixture into a 9 x 13" pan. Spread the refried beans over the meat mixture by dropping spoonfuls evenly over the hot meat. Sprinkle the entire bag of the tater tots over the refried beans, spreading out evenly. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the tater tots. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until tater tots are lightly browned and crispy.