The Ultimate Comfort Food Casserole

Did anyone else grow up with super simple, super cheap dishes that as an adult, when you think about them, take you back to a simpler time?  Much like the scene in the movie Ratatouille where Anton Ego, the stuffy food critic, is served the traditional peasant dish of Ratatouille and is immediately transported to a childhood memory, there are certain dishes that are comfort foods for me and invoke a simpler time before adult-ing!  That’s what this Comfort Food Casserole does for me.

This month we bring you comfort foods.  What better way to get through January but with comfort foods? I always need extra motivation to get through this month of post holiday madness and, typically here in Colorado, bitter coldness and skin that feels like it will crack!

 

I grew up on tater tot casserole, a quick and easy dish; ground beef, cream of mushroom soup and tater tots all lined up on top on a 8 x 8 glass dish and baked until golden brown and bubbly!  Of course being a lover of food and always wanting to tinker with recipes, I wanted to make a slightly healthier and homemade version of this recipe.  Turkey burger, cream of mushroom soup and a potato crust made from scratch made this a hearty version of the greasy, overly salty version I remember from childhood.

Even though this recipe is being made from scratch, you’d be surprised at how little time it really takes to enjoy this fabulous, warm, cozy dish!

The potato crust came from a tater tot recipe from Inspired Taste and the Cream of Mushroom Soup came from Genius Kitchen, both simple and tasty recipes, that of course I modified because I struggle with following instructions.  I had never made Cream of Mushroom Soup before and after tasting how wonderfully flavorful it is, will never buy store-bought soup again.  It was so easy.

Another key ingredient in this comfort food casserole is magic mushroom powder, have you heard of it?  I received some homemade powder for Christmas from my friend Heather and it gives every dish that extra kick.

[tasty-recipe id=”8778″]

Posted on January 7, 2018
This entry was posted in brunch, main dish and tagged casserole, cream of mushroom soup, potatoes, turkey burger.