Yee doggie! Let’s hurry on home! Somethin’ tasty is in the makin’ and we don’t wanna miss it. Giddy-Up Casserole will be comin’ out of the oven soon and man, oh, man, the flavors we have to look forward to… your tastebuds are in for a real rodeo! It’s hearty and it’s got all the fixin’s you crave after a hard day of work. The juicy ground sirloin, salty bacon, fresh veggies, melty cheese, and whole bag of crunchy tater tots will fill you right up. Sounds like a pretty good way to turn in for the night and put your boots up. Giddy-Up Casserole will make returning to the ranch even more exciting (and delicious)!
Ingredients
- 1 (32-ounce) bag tater tots
- 4 strips bacon
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 3 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 8 ounces cheddar or Colby Jack cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- chives, to taste, chopped, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 –Transfer the tater tots from the freezer and let them slightly thaw as the filling is being prepared.
Step 3 –Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat.
Step 4 –Add the bacon to the heated skillet and cook until it is golden-brown and extra crispy, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 5 –Transfer the cooked bacon to paper towels and leave the grease in the skillet.
Step 6 –Add the onion to the same skillet and cook until it has slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
Step 7 –Add the garlic to the onion and cook until it is fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 8 –Add the sirloin to the onion mixture and cook, while crumbling the beef into small pieces, until the meat is no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes. Drain the excess fat.
Step 9 –Transfer the skillet from the heat.
Step 10 –Stir the soup, the milk, the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper into the beef mixture until it is smooth.
Step 11 –Fold the spinach into the beef mixture and cook until it has slightly wilted.
Step 12 –Add the corn to the beef mixture and stir to combine.
Step 13 –Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly on top of the casserole.
Step 14 –Place the tater tots on top of the cheese in a single layer in concentric circles or tossed on top and pushed closely together.
Step 15 –Sprinkle the tots with the parmesan cheese and the remaining black pepper.
Step 16 –Bake the casserole until the tater tots are golden, about 30-35 minutes.
Step 17 –Transfer the casserole from the oven and crumble the cooked bacon over top.
Step 18 –Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes.
Step 19 –Top the casserole with the chives.
Step 20 –Serve.
