Tater Tot Casserole

The first time I made this, Anthony and I ate half of it right away.  Which was really something because my casserole dish is very large (a 13x9 I think, instead of the usual 11x7).

 
It quickly became one of my Foundational recipes - I make this at least once a month.  It's filling, it's fun, it's satisfying, and it is very versatile - like lasagna, I use Tater Tot Casserole to use up whatever veggies are abundant.

 I have no idea how I came upon the recipe at Snarky Vegan (I'll let you head over there to view the original recipe).  The moment I saw it, I knew I had to make it.

That was May 2011, and since then my roux-making abilities have increased greatly.  Here are the guidelines I use and some pictures!






Prep:
Grease a casserole dish
Cook a lot of tater tots
Shred a lot of cheese
Make a roux (step 3 of this simply recipes mac and cheese recipe)
Steam veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, greens, whatever
Finely chop veggies like onions
Shred veggies like carrots



Assembly:
Mix some of the roux with the veggies in the bottom of the pan
Layer cooked tots on top, and pour the rest of the roux over everything
Top with shredded cheese

Cook:
Cover with foil, and throw into a pre-heated oven at 350/375.
Cook for a while (15 minutes?) until the cheese is melty
Remove foil and cook longer if needed to evaporate excess moisture