Golden Tater Tot Casserole – Gluten and Lactose Free

Stormy days make me crave comfort food and this golden tater tot casserole is just the trick to satisfy that craving. This recipe uses frozen convenience ingredients, which makes it quick to prepare and easy to clean up. The whole process, from preheating the oven, to enjoying our dinner together, to putting away leftovers, took less than two hours.

It is easy to get confused when you see milk and cheese in my lactose free recipes. Lactose free does not mean dairy free. I buy ultra filtered milk from Fairlife that is lactose free. Kraft cheese labels its products as containing 0g of lactose per serving, which is about a quarter cup, and about the amount of cheese in one serving of my recipe.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, and you feel free to use it as a launchpad. You can exchange the venison for your preferred ground meat. I used carrots, peas, corn, and green beans for my vegetables, but you can easily sub zucchini and peppers if you wish. The Cuban seasoning gives this dish a nice zip, but you can use any seasoning you wish. Playing with flavors and textures can be fun, and I want you to find the joy in cooking.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground venison (or lean meat of choice)
• 12 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 lbs frozen tater tots
• 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 TBSP Kinders Seasoning Cuban Blend
• Salt to taste
• 2 1/2 C lactose free milk
• 1/3 C Corn starch
• 16 oz Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• In large frying pan, warm olive oil before adding minced garlic and onion. Saute until garlic starts to brown and onions pale, a few minutes. Add mixed vegetables and 1/2 tbsp Cuban seasoning.
• After 3-5 minutes, push vegetables to the perimeter of the pan to create a space for your venison. Add venison to the pan and chop as it cooks. Mix the remaining seasoning into the meat, and stir entire pan to combine ingredients.
• Once the meat is browned, drain any remaining grease from the pan.
• Whisk your lactose free milk with the cornstarch to create a slurry. Slowly stir slurry into the frying pan and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Sauce will thicken fairly quickly, so stir often.
• Pour contents of the frying pan into a greased 9×13 glass baking dish.
• Cover the filling evenly with your cheddar jack cheese before neatly placing your tater tots as a crust on top.
• Bake for 30 minutes on the center rack.
• Enjoy!