Tater tots are man’s best no-waste invention. They were conceived as a way to utilize the leftover slivers and scraps of potatoes being machine-cut. The Ore-Ida brothers added seasoning and flour to the leftovers, deep-fried patties of them and boom, my favorite side item was born.
I’ll automatically order a side if I find them on a menu, premade or made from scratch, I don’t care, they’re amazing. This includes craving hot dishes--a kind of casserole or shepherd’s pie topped with--you guessed it--tater tots! Instant delicousness.
But as it’s summer I couldn’t jump head-first into a hearty pie without taking advantage of the garden’s bounty. Zucchini and summer squash are always on sale these days and I guessed correctly that they taste even better with my favorite fried treat.
A quartet of zucchini, yellow squash, fennel and onion make up the base for this summer casserole, with sour cream and dill to give it the necessary zip that summer foods require. You can make the filling ahead of time, the night or morning before eating, and just top with frozen tater tots and bake when you get home. Easy tater tot heaven.
Serves 4
2tbsp butter or olive oil
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium yellow squash, diced
1 fennel bulb, trimmed & diced, save fronds for garnish
½ yellow onion, diced
2 clove garlic, minced
2tbsp flour
1c chicken or vegetable stock
1/4c sour cream
1/4c parsley, chopped
2tbsp dill, chopped
1tbsp lemon juice
2-3c frozen tater tots
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat the butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the zucchini thru onion and saute 10-12min, until tender. Stir in the garlic and saute 1min. Salt n pep to taste.
Thoroughly stir in the flour and cook 1 additional min. Add in the stock all at once and bring to a boil. Cook a few min, until thickened. Combine in the sour cream then parsley, dill and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt n pep again.
Pour mixture into a glass 9x9 casserole dish. Top with frozen tater tots and bake 35-40min, or until tots are golden brown. Let rest 5min before sprinkling with reserved fennel fronds and serving.
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