EASY CHEESY TATER TOTS RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease with half of the oil.
• Place potatoes in a bowl of cold water and agitate for 10 to 15 seconds. Drain.
• Transfer 1/2 of the potatoes to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until broken down into rough 1/4 to 1/8th inch pieces, about twenty-five 1-second pulses. Transfer to a clean dish towel and repeat with the remaining potatoes.
• Wrap dish towel around processed potatoes and squeeze well to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard liquid and transfer potatoes to a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, and then microwave for 1 more minute.
• Stir potatoes — they might be a little sticky — then let cool for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the salt, onion powder, cornstarch, parsley, cheese, and a few grinds of black pepper over the potatoes. Gently mix in to combine. (The mixture will be sticky, a rubber spatula or fork work well).
• Shape potatoes into cylinders about 3/4-inch wide and 1-inch long. Place shaped tater tots onto oiled baking sheet.
• Drizzle tops of tater tots with remaining oil then bake until golden brown on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Carefully flip each tater tot — using two forks helps to wiggle any tots that are more stuck to the foil than others — then bake until the second side is golden brown, another 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the tater tots from the freezer to let them thaw slightly while you prepare the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown and extra crispy, 6-8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and leave the grease in the skillet. Set all of the bacon aside for topping later.  Add the onion to the skillet and cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the ground beef and break into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook the meat until no pink pieces remain, 6-8 minutes. Drain off excess fat or liquid, if you like. Remove skillet from the heat. Stir in the soup, milk, salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper and mix until smooth. Fold in the spinach to wilt slightly, then the corn. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. Place the tater tots on top in a single layer, arranging them in concentric circles (or just toss them on and push them very close together.) Sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese and the additional 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.  Bake 30-35 minutes until the tater tots are golden. Remove from the oven and crumble the cooked bacon over top. Let rest 5 minutes. Top with chopped chives or scallions and serve.