Tater Tot Hotdish

Ingredients

• 700g minced beef
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 250g mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 400ml beef stock
• 200ml double cream
• 200g frozen green beans, cut into 2cm lengths
• 150g frozen sweetcorn
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 150g mature cheddar, grated
• 900g frozen potato tots
• Salt and black pepper

Before you cook

• Heat the oven to 200C
• Chop the onion and celery, mince the garlic and slice the mushrooms
• Grate the cheddar
• Take the tots out of the freezer only when you are ready to top the dish

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet or wide pan over medium-high heat.
2. Brown the minced beef for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until the water has cooked off and the meat is properly coloured rather than grey.
3. Tip the beef into a bowl and leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan.
4. Cook the onion, celery and mushrooms over medium heat for 8 minutes until the mushrooms squeak and brown.
5. Add the garlic, thyme and onion powder and stir for 1 minute.
6. Sprinkle over the flour and stir for 2 minutes until it disappears into the vegetables.
7. Pour in the beef stock gradually, whisking to a smooth sauce, then stir in the cream and Worcestershire.
8. Return the beef to the pan along with the frozen green beans and sweetcorn, and season generously.
9. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes until it thickens to the consistency of a thick gravy.
10. Scatter two thirds of the cheddar over the surface.
11. Arrange the frozen tots over the top in tight rows so they cover the filling completely.
12. Bake for 35 minutes, then scatter over the remaining cheese and bake for a final 10 minutes until the tots are deep gold and crisp.
13. Let the hotdish stand for 10 minutes before spooning it out.