Tater Tot Casserole

This is an easy meal to prepare, and it does not take a lot of time.  It is a meal that my family enjoys and often requests, and one that I grew up having for supper. The recipe is a tried and true recipe that tastes so good.  

Instructions

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
2 c. cheddar cheese, grated or pepper jack cheese, divided
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 1/2 c. corn or 1 (15 oz.) can of corn, drained
1 (14.5) can diced tomatoes
1 c. sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 (32 oz.) bag tater tots

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°

In a large, cast iron skillet, over medium heat, add the ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook, breaking up the meat, until the meat is no longer pink.

Stir in the taco seasoning mix, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes and sour cream.  Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently, until heated through. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle half of the cheese over the top of the ground beef mixture.

Arrange the tater tots on top of the cheese in a single layer. You may not need the entire bag of tater tots, it depends on how large your skillet is.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top of the tater tots. 

Bake for 35 minutes, or until the tater tots are golden brown and the casserole is bubbling.

Notes

You can transfer the ground beef mixture to a 13 x 9-inch baking dish if you don't have a large ovenproof skillet.

 You can use different cheese if you prefer. We use a mixture of sharp cheddar and pepper jack.