Casserole for Comfort

Years ago, Ashley told me how to make tater-tot casserole the way she'd had it as a kid. Of course, I made some changes...but something was always not quite right....it was a little too meatloafy...a little too dry I guess. A few months back, her mom made it, and hers was moist and kind of perfect. What was I doing wrong?? I guess I didn't exactly mix the cream of mushroom soup in with the meat, and I put way too many tater tots in. Anyway, I should probably get to the point.

I made this casserole the other night that was delicious. I'm a big scalloped potatoes fan...they remind me of being in my grandma's kitchen listening as my mom and my aunts and grandparents all laughed about things that happened before I was born. So, I wanted to make a casserole that was just a tiny bit healthier than tater tot casserole. Instead of tots, I used real potatoes---I think there were four of them (they were kind of tiny).

I put my turkey burger meat in the pan (vegetarians can totally use your favorite beans, canned or otherwise, in place of meat and it will taste great), mixed it with barbecue sauce and maybe a quarter of a large onion, sliced. Then I took a can of diced green chilis (sliced fresh ones are good too), and scattered them around. Then I poured in a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup with Roasted GArlic, and I made sure to mix it in with the meat a bit. I tossed some olive oil in with my sliced potatoes, and then spread about half the potatoes on the casserole. I then sprinkled grated cheese (cheddar in my case, but any cheese will do), did another layer with the rest of the potatoes, and another layer of grated cheese. Then I sprinkled pepper over the whole thing before putting it in the oven at 375 and letting it cook for 55 minutes or so. Dude! It was great!