Italian Tater Tot Hotdish

Who says tater tot casserole or hotdish has to have cream of mushroom soup and hamburger? I have been thinking of experimenting with tater tot hot dish lately. This is effort #1. I decided to try giving it an Italian flair.

Italian Tater Tot Hotdish

1 pound hot Italian sausage, rolled into balls and browned
1 onion, diced and sauteed
1 red pepper, diced and sauteed
32 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, pressed
olive oil
1 t oregano
1 t basil
crushed red pepper flakes
salt
pepper
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1 package tater tots
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
a little cream

Put some olive oil in the bottom of a sauce pan. Saute the garlic in the olive oil. Add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Crush with a potato masher. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Dump tomatoes into a blender and blend until smooth. Return to sauce pan along with meat, spices and mushroom. Add a little cream to make a pink sauce. Simmer until it thickens a little.

Spread a little olive oil around a 9X13 inch baking pan. Pour the meat sauce into the baking pan and sprinkle with sauteed onion and red pepper.

Spread 2 cups cheese over the sauce.


Top with tots.

Bake in the oven at 350 for 1 hour.

Serve with Parmesan cheese.