And so it begins... Tater Tot Hotdish

So if you're like me, you have no shame in admitting that on some particularly windy, cold, harsh Minnesota nights (or you know, whenever the mood strikes) that all you can think about is that warm, creamy, comforting goliath of calories and gluttony that is your grandmother's hotdish. While I've long come to terms with the fact that carrots are more often than not the new french fries of my life and that I'd rather just eat healthier than try to sneak in some quasi "healthy" replacement meal the rest of my life, I see nothing wrong with occasionally reminding yourself of the deliciously dirty eating habits of yesteryear. And what's dirtier than the cheesy, gooey, lard filled glass pans of greasy goodness? Nothing.

But who really wants to waste an entire day or even two days worth of calories on one dish?

This is why I'm super excited about this site. It is my mission to take classic hotdish and give them a healthier twist without taking away the things we find so comforting about them. All the warm happiness with none of the "oh God I hate myself" afterwards.

Before I start, there are two important things you should know about me;
1. I'm terrible at taking food pictures. It may look like throw up, but it's yummy I swear.
2. I am an incredibly lazy cook. The fewer ingredients, the better.

My hope is to hit a recipe a week, staying true to the beloved hotdish but possibly expanding out to other major comfort foods. I really hope someone finds this site and truly enjoys what I experiment with, and always feel free to leave suggestions or hit me up with a request!

And so it begins. STAY TUNED FOR COOKING INSTRUCTIONS AND PICTURES :)

Tater Tot Hotdish 

Tater Tot Hotdish is the alpha of the hotdish world. It's also one of the most mortifying if you're brave enough to look at the nutrition. In order to make this healthier - I had to get creative. I swapped out the beef with chicken, removed any and all added butter or milk, and instead of your classic Oreida tater tots, I'm using shredded tots instead. This alone cuts down on 20% of the sodium intake and an astronomical amount of the calories. I also added some cayenne and ground pepper for a kick, because I loves me the spicy.

Ingredients  

1 lbs boneless/skinless Chicken Breast
1 can Heart Healthy Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 - 1 can Del Monte Southwest Corn
1 cup Shredded Tots
1/4 cup Shredded Light Cheese
1 tbs cayenne pepper (optional)
pepper/salt to taste