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Here's one for potato lovers everywhere, crispy and golden brown from the kitchens of  ranthor

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This is a tater tot hot dish I made a while back. It's very easy to make, very good tasting, and will fill you up on a cold winter day. A couple of the ingredients can be substituted out. The basic "formula" for tater tot hot dish is meat, vegetable, cream of <insert soup name> soup, tater tots. On top of that can be cheese and/or fried onions. This is a recipe I like, but I would encourage you to shake it up and try your own thing.

Ingredients
Ground Beef (Hamburger, Ground Chuck, Ground Round, take your pick) - 1-2 lbs.
Onion - 1/4
Pepper - 1 tsp. to taste
Corn - 1 Can
Cream of Mushroom Soup - 1 Can
Cream of Chicken Soup - 1 Can
Tater Tots - 1 bag
Cheese - 1 Large Bag (Optional)
FRENCH'S® French Fried Onions (Optional)

Kitchen Items
Stove
Pan
Can Opener
Casserole Dish

Directions

1a) Preheat oven to baking temp for tater tots.
1b) Begin by browning the hamburger and onion in a skillet. Add pepper to taste. Once the hamburger is done cooking, place at the bottom of the casserole dish.
2) Open the can of corn, drain, and put corn on top of the hamburger.
3) Open the cans of soup. Spread them on top of the corn and hamburger.
4) Place tater tots on top of the soup layer.
5) Follow baking instructions for the tater tots, keeping an eye on them. When tater tots are done cooking, remove from oven. Let cool a little, and enjoy!
6) [OPTIONAL] When they are almost complete (about a couple minutes left), remove casserole dish from oven. Cover with the French Fried Onions and cheese, and put back in the oven. Cook until tater tots are done and cheese is melted.

That's it! That's all it takes to make a heavy, hearty meal that's popular during the cold of winter. Or enjoy it during the summer, or fall...really whenever. Some different options I have seen for this hot dish are substituting green beans for the the corn, or cream of broccoli soup instead of the mushroom or chicken. Like I said at the start, you can substitute anything for this recipe, this is just what I found I liked. Either way, I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do!

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Allergy warning – recipe contains dairy products

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Tater Tots - Outside of the United States they are known as "potato gems", "potato royals", "potato pom-poms", "oven crunchies","potato crunchies", "Tasti Taters" or "Spud Puppies".

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For anyone wishing to make Homemade Tater Tots

Ingredients
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into rough 1-inch chunks
2 quarts peanut, vegetable, or canola oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablesoon cornstarch or potato starch
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Place potatoes in a bowl of cold water and agitate for 10 seconds. Transfer to fine mesh strainer and allow to drain for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in large wok or Dutch oven over high heat to 350°F. Fry potatoes, stirring them with a wire spider until light golden brown and tender, about 4 minutes, adjusting flame to maintain oil temperature. Transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

2 Transfer 1/4 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 eight 1-second pulses. Transfer to a mixing bowl and repeat with the remaining potatoes, working in three more batches.

3 Add salt, starch, sugar, black pepper to taste, and any flavorings if desired. Gently mix with your hands to combine. Shape into cylinders about 3/4-inch wide and 1-inch long.

4 Reheat oil to 350°F and add Tater Tots. Allow to fry for 1 minute, then gently agitate with a metal spider to separate them. Continue to cook, adjusting flame to maintain heat, until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season immediately with salt. Serve hot.

To freeze the Tots follow the recipe through step 3. In step 4, remove them from the fryer after 1 1/2 minutes and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Transfer to a sheet tray or large plate in a single layer and place in freezer for at least 1 hour. Transfer the frozen tots to a zipper-lock freezer bag and store for up to 3 months.

Note: Be careful not to overprocess potatoes or they will become sticky and gummy. If a few large chunks of potatoes remain, break them up with your fingers in the bowl.